ALKHOBAR, 6 October 2004 — Noreen has seven children - aged 19 to 4. (The four-year olds are twins). They live in a two-bedroom apartment. The children’s biggest desire these days is to “Go to the Corniche” which is less than two kilometers away. “They have not been out for a picnic or a drive in a long time because we no longer have a car.”
Things were not always this difficult for Noreen and her family. She came to Dammam twenty years ago as a 16-year-old bride. “My husband had his own shop of electrical parts and our average income was SR10,000. We lived very comfortably.”
But four years ago, Noreen’s husband had a brain hemorrhage and is now paralyzed. His Saudi partner closed the business but let Noreen’s family stay becoming their sponsor. It fell upon Noreen to become the breadwinner.
Noreen is only a matriculate and had never worked in her life. “I had no idea how to make a living. I have five daughters and two young sons. The immediate problem was putting food on the table.”
Noreen took up selling readymade clothes from her home. “I would ask my friends who went to Pakistan to get me inexpensive clothes, which I sold to equally poor people. Most Indo-Pakistanis do not buy clothes in Saudi Arabia because they can buy it cheaper back home. I only target people who are poor and cannot afford to go home every year. But then the merchandise has to be very inexpensive or nobody will buy.”
Tuition fee for the children was waived by the Pakistan school on account of their poverty. But Noreen still had to cut corners. “Priority one is rent money. The apartment costs SR9,000 per year. Then there is food and phone bill. I hardly ever make a call, but need a phone to get customers. We have no medical coverage. My husband needs blood pressure medicine which is quite expensive. The rest of us live on Panadols. If anyone has a fever, I avoid taking them to the doctor unless I absolutely have to.”
Noreen has added babysitting to supplement her income. “I need at least SR 2,500 per month for my family to survive. Every month is a battle to get that amount”. But things improved when one of her relatives went to America and started sending her small amounts of money regularly.
Does Noreen feel bitter or depressed at the change of situation? She smiles sadly and says, “When you have seven children to take care of there is no time to get depressed. I look at my children every day and get a big dose of strength. I am living for my children. I hope they can study and get out of this rut.”
But unfortunately for Noreen, their change in fortunes affected the family. “My husband is very bitter and hates being home all day. He constantly bickers and loses his temper at the children. My girls have adjusted well but I’m worried about my 15-year-old son. He only plays cricket all day and is not good in his studies. I wish I could afford a psychiatrist to counsel him. But I can’t.”
What does Noreen miss the most from her old life? “Freedom from tension; I was so carefree then, now I’ve to be a warrior with strategies and plans for living each day. I also miss the fact that we have not been to Pakistan in 5 years and doesn’t look like we’ll go there in the near future. “Why doesn’t the family go back to Pakistan?
“Things won’t be any better there.” Noreen says. “My husband can’t work. It would be harder for me to make a living there.”
Rehana’s husband is jobless since 2002 when he lost his clerical job to Saudization. They have ten children aged 15 to four. They also live in a 2- bedroom apartment which cost SR6,000 per year.
Having no work experience and being only semi-literate, Rehana had limited choices. She decided to supply cut up and ready to cook vegetables to housewives. “I heard a lot of women complain that they hated peeling potatoes and slicing vegetables that is where I got the idea for my line of work.”
Rehana buys her vegetables at the Dammam vegetable market. She then cuts, packages and sells the vegetables to eager housewives. “In the beginning it was tough. I had very few customers. But with time, I have been able to establish a regular clientele. For some women, I also cook the vegetables.”
Rehana would not disclose how much money she made. But she said it was barely enough to sustain her family. Our conversation came to an abrupt end when Rehana’s husband came home and screamed at her for telling her story.
“He is quite upset with the fact, that she is the breadwinner and he cannot find a decent job.” She whispered to me and the interview was over.
There are hundreds of women in situations like Noreen and Rehana. They cook, clean, tutor, cut hair, do facials....They’ll do anything they can, to make a living, to put a meal on the table for their children....trading places with their husbands, to become breadwinners.
