Why must these tiny shoulders carry the weight of entire families?

Farzana and her brother, Hasan selling flowers and begging on the streets of Dhanmondi

Farzana, 6, sells flowers on the streets of Dhaka's Dhanmondi, begging passersby to buy her flowers. She responds with a silent stare when asked why she sells flowers on the streets.

"Farzana can sell more flowers," her brother Hasan says. "She's younger, so people show more sympathy and buy her flowers."

Hasan begs in front of various shops and restaurants in Dhanmondi. A laminated paper in his hands reads, "Please give me money to buy some rice and pulses so my siblings and I can eat." Hasan doesn't attend school, so he cannot read his sign. When asked who had given him the laminated paper, Hasan does not respond.

From morning to night, Farhad sells jhalmuri – a popular street food made of puffed rice - near the Shishu Mela amusement park. He does not have a father and lives with his mother. The family can't survive on his mother's income alone, so he works alongside her, hawking snacks to amusement park visitors and passersby.

But Farhad does not want to work all day. His work keeps him from his studies, playing sports, having fun, and playing with friends. He says he is always sad.

"When I grow up, I'll run away," he said. He does not know where he will run away to.

Tuni begs on the pedestrian over-bridge near Jamuna Future Park. She is usually accompanied by her mother, but she was resting while Tuni walked around, begging people for money.

Thousands of children in Bangladesh work multiple jobs to support their families. But is the money they earn spent on their well-being, their development and their future? Or is it spent supporting their families?

Adults and guardians are supposed to help children shape their lives and guide them towards a better future, but is that really the case for children like Farzad or Tuni?

Shaheen is a young boy who fled his home in Chandpur and came to Dhaka after his parents' divorce. He lives at Kamalapur Railway Station and doesn't have a proper roof over his head.

He has burns all over his body from a terrible accident where he was electrocuted by a loose wire.

Despite these tragedies, he told Hello he didn't want to go home.

Mim spends all day selling chocolate and candy on the streets of Dhanmondi. She told Hello that she wants to make a better future for herself so she no longer has to sell candy.

However, the money she earns is not spent on her dreams. She doesn't go to school, and she does not receive any other form of training or education either. Under these circumstances, how can she realise her dreams of a successful future?

The money earned by these children helps their families. But, this money is often spent on something other than the children's education, treatment, or wholesome entertainment. It is time for us to consider how we can provide these children with a healthy and secure life in the future.

Reporter's age: 14 | Dhaka