Many kids in Lebanon drop out of school to work and support their families. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Social Affairs is doing little to solve the child labor issue in Lebanon.
Some kids sell roses, others clean car windows. They are also vulnerable to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse.
Al Jadeed and Ya Sour interviewed a 12-year-old girl named Fatima who works as a mechanic in Ouzai. The hard-working young girl fixes motorcycle to support her family. She couldn’t afford to stay in school.
In the interview, Fatima said that sometimes she wishes to die. Then she remembers that she is the breadwinner of the family. No kid should ever have similar thoughts.
The ambitious young girl dreams of becoming a hairdresser to become financially stable.
The video caught the attention of Joe Raad who is a famous singer in Lebanon. He offered Fatima a job at his hair salon in Verdun where she will be learning the profession.
What Joe Raad did is very thoughtful. However, there are thousands of kids out there that are forced into labor. No kid should ever have to work. Children belong in schools. The Ministry of Social Affairs needs to solve this issue and ensure that all children are safe and attending school.
We wish Fatima the best of luck.
