JEDDAH, 25 September 2004 — As the census program moves into top gear, problems are surfacing for the men who carry out the difficult task. Most of the enumerators are teachers who have been mobilized nationwide to visit homes and collect information about the inhabitants.
Mohammad Al-Harbi, a supervisor of four enumerators, told Arab News that each field worker is provided with new maps that are helpful in identifying residential buildings. Each man is expected to cover 150 families in 15 days. This translates into each enumerator covering six blocks per day.
One of the enumerators said: “We are faced with a lot of problems. First and foremost is that the residents do not understand or appreciate the census process or its benefits which makes it harder for us to do our job. Some of them keep us waiting on the stairs for up to 45 minutes while others, claiming to be busy, ask us ‘to please come tomorrow’.”
He adds that the media has really not done its full job. “All they’ve done is a TV program telecast every day from 5 to 6 p.m. which most people do not get to see because they’re not home yet!”
He suggested that the program be repeated at different times during children’s programs or during commercials between soccer matches and intervals. And there must be a reminder at all times during the duration of the census. At times when the resident does not speak Arabic, an English form is presented which the individual fills out himself, the enumerator said.
When Arab News asked Al-Harbi about the reliability of census officials in regard to the information provided on the census forms he said that they are trained to ensure accurate information and that their work is monitored by census supervisors. Furthermore, after the census is completed random forms would be chosen to see if the information provided is cent percent accurate.
Ali Al-Sulami, a teacher at one of the intermediate schools, said, “I am currently working as an enumerator and I’ve faced problems with one of the houses in south Jeddah. This was due to the misunderstanding and lack of education of the residents and the media’s failure to create awareness.
Asked how teaching was proceeding alongside his census work, he said, “In the morning I go to my school where I actually get to talk to the students about the census which is good. In the afternoons I do the census work.”
Arab News asked Eisa Mohammad, a resident in one of the local districts about how he found the census staff and the process of counting heads, he replied: “I was visited by one of them and the questions were social and economic such as the number of family members, their names, their birth dates and their education level. ‘Is there a housekeeper? Driver? How many computers do you own, play stations? Mobile phones?’ Etc.”
Muhsen Abdullah said: “We’re not familiar with this kind of questions that are very personal. I didn’t answer some of the questions because they struck me as too personal or awkward and some of the questions I found to be illogical.”
Abdulghafour Abdulmateen, a Pakistani national, said: “Census officials came to my house without me having any prior idea about the whole thing. Additionally, I don’t talk Arabic and I wasn’t informed by the media.”
