http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article161173.ece
Seeking shelter under Makkah's Misfala Bridge to make a living Wheelchair pushers wait for customers under the Misfala Bridge in Makkah. Every one of these people, who camp here day and night to make an honest living, has a sad story to tell. (AN photo by Badea Abu Al-Naja) By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA | ARAB NEWS Published: Oct 15, 2010 03:51 Updated: Oct 15, 2010 03:51 MAKKAH: Although pushing elderly and ill pilgrims in wheelchairs is not an attractive job, some Saudis in Makkah find it the only way to make an honest living to support themselves and their families. Stationed under the Misfala Bridge in the central area of Makkah, these men charge a small amount to ferry elderly pilgrims to the Grand Mosque. Using old furniture, they sleep under the bridge where they change their clothes, drink water from a water dispenser in the street and use the Grand Mosque's bathrooms. "I've been living under the bridge for three years," said Saad Hussein, a 38-year-old Saudi man. "I've been forced to live here, under this bridge, because I can't get a job. The only qualification I have is an elementary school certificate," he said, adding that he prefers living and working like this rather than staying unemployed and that he doesn't care how people view him. "Living under the bridge is very difficult. I don't earn much and rarely make SR100 a day. I used to be ashamed of doing this but it's better than stealing. I've seen a lot of Saudis like me. We live together under the bridge at night and earn a living during the day," he said. Muhammad Al-Araaj, 49, is married and has three children. He lives in an old house and has to pay SR1,200 a month in rent. "I couldn't find a proper job and so decided to buy a wheelchair and earn a living like this," Al-Araaj said. "I serve elderly pilgrims and visitors. Since I don't make much and the income isn't steady, I work day and night to ensure I earn enough to support my family and pay the rent," he said. To fully devote himself to his job, Al-Araaj lives under the bridge away from home. "I visit my family and children once a week. All the people that live under this bridge have sad stories. They all have families to support," he said, adding that he earns SR40 to SR50 a day during normal days and between SR250 and SR400 during the pilgrim seasons. Khaled Al-Jeddawi, 40, is unmarried. He has a high school certificate but said he couldn't find a suitable job and so decided to come to live under Al-Misfala Bridge. "Sometimes we ferry pilgrims for free simply because they don't have any money. It is enough if they pray for us. Living under the bridge, we've all gelled together and become like family. We eat and live together. We also have rules - anyone caught cheating a pilgrim or using drugs gets kicked out," he said. Ali Aman, a 44-year-old Saudi, went to the Social Affairs Department to enroll for welfare. He was, however, told he does not qualify for any help. "At my age, I have few choices and opportunities and so I bought a wheelchair for SR400. I've been doing this job for three years now," he said. Aman wishes he could turn the clock back and go to university, get a degree and secure a proper job. "If my wheelchair is confiscated by the municipality, then I would have to go and buy a secondhand one for SR70 to minimize my losses and maximize the money I earn," he said. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: prole...@egroups.com Subscribe : proletar-subscr...@egroups.com Unsubscribe : proletar-unsubscr...@egroups.com List owner : proletar-ow...@egroups.com Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: proletar-dig...@yahoogroups.com proletar-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: proletar-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
