JEDDAH, 24 August 2005 — Instead of begging, many Afghan children sell chewing gum at traffic lights in Jeddah. These small children from the war-torn country nip in and out of the spaces between cars at traffic lights. It is a job and it keeps food in their stomachs and guarantees them a warm bed at night. Ali, a 12-year-old Afghani, sells gum in order to make a living. For several months, he has been saving his money in order to buy a mobile phone; he wants a Nokia model that is known in Saudi Arabia by the name of Al-Damah, the tear, which costs around SR1,300. He said his dream was half way to reality and that he will continue selling gum until he can buy the phone.
