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| 4 Wives, 58 Children: Afghan Father’s Struggle Highlights the Burden of Family Poverty |
| 2026-10-21 |
| [KhaamaPress] A 57-year-old Afghan father of 58 children says he struggles to feed and support his family of four wives in Uruzgan province, where poverty has left some children going to bed hungry. Mohammad Sadiq spoke to the BBC about the challenges of raising his large family, including the difficulty of remembering all his children’s names. He said he sometimes counts them around the family meal, only to discover that one is missing because a child is staying elsewhere. Sadiq and his wives have also lost 14 children over the years, according to the report. Sadiq works at a car dealership, where he says he earns about 1,000 Afghanis when a vehicle is sold. He said the income is insufficient to meet the family’s needs, and some of his children also work to help support the household. Some collect paper and plastic to use as fuel. The family generally prepares two meals a day, breakfast and dinner, with two of the women responsible for cooking. During winter, family members eat together inside their rooms, while in summer they gather in the courtyard. Sleeping arrangements are cramped, with six or seven people sometimes sharing a thin blanket. The BBC report describes a home with rooms lacking conventional doors and windows, where thin curtains serve as door coverings. The space used for bathing is also used for washing clothes and dishes and, at times, as a toilet. Despite the difficult conditions, Sadiq said he had tried to send his children to school, although education costs remain a challenge. Sadiq said his aim in having a large family was to increase the number of followers of the Prophet Muhammad. He also described the practical consequences of having so many children, recalling an occasion when he mistakenly gave a holy man the name of the wrong daughter during a marriage ceremony. He said he often calls his children "my son" or "my child" because he cannot always recall every name. The BBC reported that Sadiq’s four wives married him when they were between 13 and 16 years old. He said he was 20 when he married his first wife and explained that he had needed time to save the bride price before each marriage. The account raises concerns about child marriage and the health risks associated with early and repeated pregnancies. Girls who marry and become pregnant during adolescence can face increased health risks, while repeated pregnancies can place additional strain on mothers’ health. Access to healthcare remains a challenge in parts of Afghanistan, particularly in remote communities. Sadiq, who says he cannot read or write, has appealed to the government, aid organizations and businesspeople for help supporting his family. He said his two main hopes were for his children to receive an education and to have enough food. |
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