Daily Bread
Stories
Daily Bread
Like many young refugees, Abdallah is growing up quickly.
The 12-year-old from Syria works to put food on his family's table.
The 12-year-old from Syria works to put food on his family's table.
Abdallah at work in Za'atari refugee camp, Jordan.
© UNHCR/Ismail Elmokadem
Child labour is illegal in Jordan, but that doesn't stop kids like Abdallah, a 12-year-old refugee living in Za'atari camp. "My dad used to be a farmer," he says. "We used to live well. We started this bread business because we had no other options here."
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A great many refugee households in Jordan rely partly or entirely on the income generated by a child. That's because it's often harder for Syrian adults to find work, and because the ramifications for being caught are less severe for children.
Watch part 2 of the trilogy, as Abdallah introduces some of the friends he's made playing football at the camp.
Watch part 3 of the trilogy, as Abdallah and his father try to phone relatives back in Syria.
