A story emerged from Afghanistan illustrating the difficulties associated with having many children and poverty. A man named Mohammed Sadik lives with four wives and fifty-eight living children. In total, more than 70 children have been born into the family, although many have passed away. The family's living conditions are so harsh that children often have to sleep hungry.
Notably, Sadik does not even remember the names of all his numerous children. According to a BBC report, Sadik resides in the Uruzgan province of Afghanistan. His family faces a severe shortage of everything necessary—from food and clothing to other vital necessities. Maintaining such a large family has become an extremely difficult task for him, especially given his limited income.
Sadik explained that due to the large number of children, he cannot remember them all by name. He often refers to them simply as 'son' or 'child' instead of using their names. The youngest child in the family, he says, is only three months old. This fact is not only surprising but also draws attention to the problems facing this family. It suggests how difficult it must be to provide basic needs for such children, such as food, clothing, and education, when the fundamental needs of the household remain unmet.
Mohammed Sadik works at a car dealership. He earns 1000 Afghanis for every car sold, which is equivalent to approximately 1500 Indian rupees. However, this income is insufficient to cover the needs of such a large family. The housing conditions are also extremely poor: they live in a mud house where the rooms lack proper doors and windows, and curtains hang between the rooms. Since they lack money to buy wood, they sometimes have to burn paper to cook. Many children go barefoot, and sometimes they are forced to sleep hungry.
Sadik has four wives. He stated that all his wives married at a young age. According to him, the lack of experience in childcare also contributed to problems within the family. He also mentioned the premature death of some of his children. Nevertheless, an independent verification of his claims regarding the children's deaths has not been conducted.
Sadik admitted that he is unable to meet his family's needs. He added that perhaps he would not have had so many children if he had known in advance that feeding such a large brood would become a problem. Despite the family's deteriorating financial situation, he continued to have children. The report notes that he did not provide a clear reason why he continues to increase the size of his family.
His story highlights serious issues in Afghanistan, such as poverty and early marriage. The situation of this family demonstrates how an increase in the number of children increases the responsibility for their upbringing, education, nutrition, and other basic needs. If a family lacks sufficient income and necessary conditions, this has the most profound impact on the lives of the children.