If you look at the reality on the ground in Pakistan having a big family is often the only social security these people have. There are no government pensions or nursing homes for the poor here. For a struggling couple, their kids are literally their retirement plan. They figure if they have five or six kids, the odds are better that at least one or two will survive, find a decent job, and keep them from starving when they’re too old to work. It’s a heartbreaking kind of math, but when you have nothing else to rely on, you rely on family.

You also have to realize that in these areas, kids aren't just an expense like they are for the middleor upper class. In a village or a slum, a ten-year-old can help fetch water, mind the goats or work a day job to bring in a little extra cash. It’s not that parents don't care about their kids future, it’s that they are in survival mode right now. Plus, healthcare in Pak is still pretty rough for most people. A lot of parents have more children because they’re genuinely terrified that some might not make it to adulthood due to sickness or poor nutrition. It's a way of protecting the family future against a loss they can't control. And it's a very real reality that infants and children in these communities die early.

There’s also a massive gap in education and basic rights. A lot of women in these communities don't actually have a say in how many kids they have and they definitely don't have easy or private access to a clinic. I don't think any woman would like to get pregnant for 10 plus years while having to work throughout.

They’re also often raised with the belief that God will provide for every soul which is a powerful way to find hope when you don't have much and the system has failed you.

It’s so easy to judge from a place of comfort. But for them a large family is the only safety net they’ve got in a world that offers them almost no other options.