Long struggle and fight for survival

Children who live in this area work in traffic cross-sections either selling small items like tissues or water or mostly beg for money.

In the past, marginalization was confined only to the dark skinned (translated from Akhdam); however it now includes growing numbers of whites because of economic deterioration. The continuous economic setbacks in Yemen and the increase in unemployment is affecting many new areas.

It is a tasteless style of living, dominated by norms different than those people are familiar with, in a place deprived of the essentials of life, such as water and electricity. It is a place embracing the country’s sufferings and pitilessness. It is full of garbage, and treaded by bare feet and bodies covered with dirty rags. The children who play in this place seem to be fond of having their photographs taken; as if to remind those who may have forgotten about them that they are still surviving. The odors emanating from this place are unbearable, yet the occupants of Mahwi Asir have adapted themselves, while hoping for a better future. 

The story
Thirty years ago, hardships forced some people to move to a semi-desert area to make it their home, where they began living in tin houses. Already low standard of living deteriorated, forcing more to come live in this area, and the number of inhabitants rose to ten thousand people living in 850 houses. The size of the population is not present in the government’s records, because the area does not fall within the government’s development plan. Rather, this figure is a result of a statistical survey conducted by the area’s residents in 2005 -2006.  

This place used to be called the Conference Hall area; however it is now known as the “Mahwa Asir”. It is surrounded by luxurious buildings, and commercial companies, standing in contrast to the poor buildings nearby.

In a painful tune, Om Mohammed al-Haimi said she has been living here for over seventeen years. She has eight children, and her husband is a soldier in the Yemeni army. His salary doesn’t cover the family’s needs. Her children left school at the end of the intermediate level, because they couldn’t afford to continue. They tried to earn a living by buying a motorbike, but it was confiscated because the government banned motorbikes, and they did not compensated the family despite the YR 1500,000 they still owe in debt for it’s purchase. She added that “the government did not help in solving our problems, and they did not let us solve them ourselves.” Fikri Ahmed is a twenty-one year old man from Rima. He went to school for three years only, however he tried to educate himself and succeeded in learning to read and write. He worked as a dustman at a very young age. However he said those who provide the jobs determine the salary of the workers, which is generally around YR 15,000, yet they receive only YR 9000 with the rest taken by the cleaner’s observers. He says that anyone who objects is fired. 

Fikri preferred unemployment to extortion and left his work. Muntasir from Rima also left school after the seventh year because of hardship’s he could no longer endure. He has a wife and child suffering from kidney problems. He hides his problems with a broad smile. He said that he didn’t like working as a dustman, so he worked selling tapes on roundabouts. Now he says that he is working in the scrap-metal trade, adding that it provides subsistence for the day and night. He said that they formed a society for improving their standards of living, seeking the donations of some charitable organizations.

A problem hindering their development is early marriage. Fikri says that it is inevitable, and that they marry at an early age because they are afraid that in the future, the size of the dowry may increase, and may prevent them from getting married. 

He denied the rumors that they eat their dead, as Fikri said this cannot be true because it goes against human nature, adding they burry their dead in the nearest cemetery, though there are no private graves. 

Social care cards
All their statements were identical, in that most of them have no social cards because of the high sum demanded by the area official (aqil) to recommend them for the valuable document. This is in addition to the other long routine procedures needed to receive it. 

Mahwa area at elections period
Haja Jamila is from Mahwait, and says with a bored attitude that they come to us on election days and promise to improve our conditions, and after we elect them they forget us. She added, “We are the president’s sons, why doesn’t he look after us.”  Fikri of Rima said scornfully that officials connected an electric lamp during the election period, which went out after the election.”

Their representative at the local council Badr al-Mogbli says it is not easy to satisfy the demands of all people. Muntasir Abdullah from Rima and many others said that “we all have the People’s General Congress PGC Party’s membership cards,” and wondered “what would it be like if we are not members of the PGC.” Mohammed Ali said, “We are exploited through our needs during the election period.” He added that the water corporation in cooperation with Care Organization had established a sewage system, which did not cover the whole area. Some people say that it sometimes leaks and floods nearby houses. They said that their second electoral demand will be that they should be exempted from the sewage bill, which was YR 250,000. 

Mogbli said in an optimistic tone that the future will be better, because there are strategic plans and studies in the 2008 budget to establish electricity and sewage systems, and a plan to lay concrete on the Conference Hall, which is delayed because of the sewage system. He said that if the government did not execute these projects, there are other facilities that can carry them out such as the social funds and charitable societies. Despair which is imposed by real-life conditions and hope clash at Mahwa… Which one is going to win?

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