Mohammed is a 14 year old Gazan boy who has chose to leave school in favour of working as a plastic waste collector. He collects waste on the streets of the city, and then sells it on to his uncle, who then sells it onto factory's which manufacture plastic products, so that it can be recycled. His father is currently unemployed and his mother is blind, so it appears that he feels the need to help them out financially, but he also points to constant beatings from his teachers as another reason for leaving school. What is sure though, is that the ongoing Israeli siege on the people of Gaza has affected this kid's life and surroundings in ways which we could not even begin to imagine. The siege on almost every type of goods, medical supplies and foodstuffs may have created a need for a recycling industry within Gaza, but it's residents would surely rather that this was not the case. |