11 year old Yousef Ahmad Othman works 6 days a week for 8-9hrs per in a car repair factory and earns $25 a month. At present this is a summer job as Yousef is still attending the UNRWA school. When asked what would be his dream job Yousef said \'a civil engineer\' [Palestinians are excluded from such professions in Lebanon].
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Inside Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp: Child Support
Child Support is a photo essay from August 2008 looking at how children support their families by working in adult industries. The term 'child support' in the U.K. has very different connotations to the lives of many Palestinian families living in refugee camps. The children in this photo essay, from the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp are the ones who are financially supporting their family due to the hardships of so many of the families living in the refugee camps accross Lebanon.
The first photo of each child is taken at their place of work and the second at home with their family. All the children were asked 'what would be your dream job if you could choose any job in the world', most found this question impossible to answer because it is not something they give any thought too, growing up in the place and situation they face.
Below is some further information about the refugee camp:
Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp
394,532 Palestinians live in 12 refugee camps scattered throughout Lebanon. Ain al-Hilweh being the largest with 45,337 registered Palestinians [UNRWA figures as of 31 December 2003], but with an actual number closer to 90,000 is situated near the town of Saida 45 km south of Beirut. It was originally established by the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1948/49. The Palestinians are the world's largest refugee population 4.5 million of these, 1.1 million live in refugee camps [UNRWA June 2002].
Palestinians are excluded from the Lebanese public health and education systems and only a very small percentage can pay for private doctors and schools. Palestinians are prohibited from working in over 70 professions, including government, lawyers, doctors, engineers, bankers, salesmen, etc. Most Palestinians work as unskilled labourers in construction and agriculture. As of 1992 the UNRWA has estimated that 60 percent of Palestinian refugees live below the poverty line and Lebanon has the highest proportion of Palestinian refugees enrolled in the UNRWA's Special Hardship Program, which provides aid ensuring a minimum standard of nutrition and shelter to the poorest of the poor.