Interview with Yousef Rashidi, a Kolbar from Paveh city.
Interviewer: Roman Mireki, board member of Kolbarnews
Yousef Rashidi talks about why young people are Kolbars or need to Kolbari, “most of our youth are Kolbar to make a living. Unfortunately, they do not have much to make a livelihood. They live in misery and hardship every day. They are Kolbars to always fill their pockets but the run out of money tomorrow because life in Iran is very expensive and you will never get anything. There are young Kolbars nowadays who are 12 or 15 years old. My own niece dropped out of school because his living conditions were very difficult and he had to be a Kolbar that is not worthy of any human being. I was 20 years old when I started to do Kolbari. I have a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from Hamadan university, but in order to build my own future, I realized that studying in Iran was not important and had to become a Kolbar. I have been working and suffering for many years. So that I don’t become poor with my friends’’.
“Our youth, those who are miserable, have to endure Kolbari, hardship, poverty, nightlife and exile in order to always have their pockets full and not need anyone. The youth of today are all Kolbars. None of them have experienced happiness and sports. This is an Unfortunate for our youth today, while they were healthier and happier in the past.
“We have young people who do Kolbari every night. They dream of buying a car or a motorcycle that will always make them happy, but unfortunately Kolbari are a phenomenon. There are days when young Kolbars lose their legs due to landmine explosions or being killed. Unfortunately, life in Iran is very difficult now. We have lost our peace, future and youth. I’m 27 years old and I have been working since I was a child”.
“Most of those who went to Europe and migrated were young and Kolbar. When Kolbari is not a job to earn their future in Iran, they had to migrate to European countries. I wanted to reach the happiness of life one day, but I never reached it. Because of Kolbari, my legs hurt and I cannot move much. This is the future of Kolbari. Kolbari is not a humane job, but what can we do when we know we have no other choice. I have put goods on my back and thought, ‘god bless me for this job, I have studied and have a degree but this is my job, our lives are difficult, miserable and helpless.”
About whether Kolbari is a job or vice versa, Yousef said “Kolbari is not work not even animal work, because animals do not have to carry things. For example, in European countries when they see animals, they love them and do not make them work at a harsh environment like this. I want to say that Kolbari is not anyone’s job, but we have to earn money today, we need money to live that’s why we are Kolbars, we see so much misery. This regime has done something in this country that has made all the youth miserable. After several years of Kolbari, I have suffered pain in my legs and waist and all my efforts are for nothing.”
In the acting of regime forces towards Kolbars, Yousef said “I have suffered a lot. There were days when I was a Kolbar, but they came after us and insulted us. They even treated us like animals and attacked us with stones misfortune and disaster has befallen us.”
For his current situation, Yousef said “I have money problems. I have seen a thousand miseries and no one to care about me. I was Kolbar. Before becoming a Kolbar, I carried goods and collected garbage. I lost my mother when I was 2 years old and then my father died when I was 8 years old. A hardship I have seen no one has ever seen in life. In addition to Kolbari, I was a Sukhtbar. I have seen a thousand misfortunes without any results. Nobody even hears my voice, nobody looks at me or asks me what’s wrong. I don’t have brothers and sisters to care about me. I have stayed in this hell called Iran. I have not seen happiness in life. My dream is to escape because I’m trapped and I don’t know what to do.”
“I’m now 27 years old and born in 1997. From 2018 until now I’m a Kolbar for about six years, it was because of my poor financial situation that I had no future and I grew up in solitude. I have a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from Hamadan University. I was smart during my studies but due to financial problems. I become Kolbar in order to get a better future. It is really difficult to be a Kolbar. Although I earn an income, it runs out immediately. Life in anywhere is different from Iran, I have really seen a lot of hardships while started Kolbari. My waist and legs hurt because i have carried a lot of things while started Kolbari. I have seen many scenes, especially those who were killed or wounded by bullets. I have seen these cases with my own eyes. I know that 12 years old children or 65 years old men have become Kolbars because our life in Iran is very difficult.
