Abu Abdo moved with his family from Syria to Jordan due to the raging conflict in his home country. Abu Abdo is a father of 6, and he came to Jordan with his wife and children. A social studies teacher; he taught for 25 years, and he’s now 50 years old.
When he reached Jordan, he looked tirelessly for a job but to no avail; despite his years of experience in teaching, he’s not allowed to work in Jordan. From there, he kept searching for a way to make a living, despite his back problems, but he needed some income to support his wife and his children.
While searching for a job, he was faced with many difficulties. Some told him that he’s too old and that they don’t have anything that he can do, and some told him that he doesn’t have any manual skills that he can apply. At the end, he worked in an automated bakery filling bread; working 12 hours a day with very little pay. He spends JD 1.5 daily for transportation, and the rest goes to his children and the house’s needs; paying rent, water bills, electricity bills, and other expenses.
It’s a difficult time to try to earn a living, and Abu Abdo was faced with a harsh reality that changed him from a respected teacher to a humble worker barely making a living.
-Hayat