Youth follows in parents footsteps

Matam Abu Rashad’s normal restaurant hours are from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. The owner, Abu Rashad, a slender 45-year-old man, stays in Sana’a working in his restaurant with his two young boys, Ibrahim, age 8, and Abdul-Malik, age twelve. Abu Rashad spends the weekdays in Sana’a with his boys managing the diner, and leaves for Ibb on the weekend to be with his wife and daughters. As customers walk in to take a seat, Ibrahim clears the counters and brings fresh water to the tables. Abu Rashad takes the order of the guests and gives it to Abdul-Malik. Abdul-Malik, dressed in a dark-green corduroy suit and a white button-up, tinged with the day’s grease, shovels a few cups of rice out of the refrigerator and throws them into a skillet sizzling with oil. The boys have been working here for the past two years. Since Abdul-Malik turned ten, Abu Rashad decided to bring his boys to work so that he could spend more time with his sons and eliminate the expense of hiring restaurant staff.

Hundreds of children work with their fathers and grow up learning the family trade. Acquiring skills at such a young age in a particular profession makes one more likely to continue that business, as it is familiar and provides a sense of security. Following in your father’s footsteps seems to be a necessary choice for Yemeni youth. Whether a man owns a juice cafe, car repair shop, or bookstore, if he has children who are old enough they’re likely to be working behind the counter. What options does this leave for Yemen’s youth? Is one mandated to take over the family business?

Students studying at Sana’a University are more than privileged. About 21 percent of males in Yemen are illiterate, and less than 4 percent of male education is at the university level or above. The students come from all over the country, but share the same economic background: wealthy. Akram, an energetic 21-year-old, boasted that his dad was a talented surgeon, “He went to the U.S. to study. Now, he is a well-known doctor.” When asked if he would like to follow his father into his career, Akram scoffed, “Ha! No. I’d make a terrible doctor. I like to write. My parents don’t like the idea of me being a writer, as it isn’t a financially stable job. Maybe I’ll work as a graphic designer.” Working and studying at a local college, Idrees spends his day reading and drawing. Idrees’s father works for the government and tailored Idrees’s early years to prepare him for the same line of work. “I’ve expressed my aspirations to be a teacher. My father is okay with that, but sometimes I feel as though I let him down by not wanting to go into the government sector,” Idrees disclosed. Most of the students at Sana’a University will be first generation college graduates. While it is becoming more difficult for educated Yemenis to find a job, nearly all say that they plan on sending their children to college. “It’s necessary,” Akram explains, “There is no future without a degree. If you want to work for an outside company, or get a higher paying salary, obtaining a diploma is a must.”

While the educated and wealthy youth in Yemen have multiple options for careers, they are a minority. About 35 percent of Yemen’s 23 million people live in poverty. With circumstances that prevent access to education, does filling into a father’s shoes make an effortless career choice?

Walking through the Old City in Sana’a, young kids shout to passing potential customers, trying to sell their merchandise. At age 5, the little salesman uses his angelic smile to win over a tourist, even if the person has no need for a plastic light-up wand. Three years later, the young merchant relies on more forceful tactics, such as stopping people in the street and shoving trinkets in the passerby’s hand. Once the boy hits age 12, he settles down into a seat and patiently waits for shoppers to come to him. The children of the merchants seem to have a natural aptitude for persuading visitors to stop inside their shop.

A freshman in high school, Mohammed, 17, attends school and works part-time at his father’s date and nut mart. His father and grandfather have had this same shop for over 40 years. Mohammed says that he only does this job temporarily, to help the family out. When he graduates, Mohammed would like to attend engineering school. He looks up to his older brother who used to work at his father’s shop, but now is in college.

Sa’ad is 12 years old and has worked at his father’s shop for the past four months. He only works in his spare time and never takes off school to work there. Sa’ad says he would like to either join the army or become a doctor. When Sa’ad is at school, his father hires outside work. Sa’ad’s father doesn’t want his sons to work there permanently: “I want more for my son. Every father wants greater expectations and dreams for their children.” Sa’ad dreams of becoming a poet.

All of the children and young adults interviewed had ambitions outside of the family business. When asked if their family supported the goal to move beyond his father’s work, every one said yes.

Yemen has insulated the same culture for over 200 years. Foreign visitors are taken back in time and united with an ancient civilization. Behind this seemingly static society, Yemen’s youth has hope and intention on progressing past former generations. Optimistic about their future, driven to change the status quo, and grateful for the possibilities their families have provided, Yemen’s youth are propelling a positive outlook for what lies ahead.

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