Meet Mohamad. He’s 15 years old and the eldest his four brothers and sisters. His father passed away from a heart attack three months ago, leaving the family with nothing.
Mohamad was attending our Youth Center in the camp regularly, but then he suddenly stopped showing up. We went to find him and found out that he had to start working in the tomato fields after school to support his family after his father died.
We’ve been asking ourselves – how can we help Mohamad without putting him and his family at risk?
Ala’a, one of the Youth Center mentors, suggested setting up a shop beside their home.
This way, the older sons and mom can sell items safely and close to home. “We wanted to protect Mohamad and the other boys,” said Ala’a. “They will lose everything if they don’t have help. And we don’t want them to work so far from home where they will face potential abuse and exploitation.”
“This idea will greatly protect Mohamad and his brothers from child labor,” said Manar, a coordinator at the Youth Center. “He will be able to continue school and not jeopardize his childhood.”
