Obada sells fruit by the roadside in Al Rama, Jordan largely by himself these days. His 14-year-old brother used to do most of the work, but after he was hit by a car driving the wrong way Obada stepped in to run the family’s stall. “He broke his arm,” Obada said. When asked if he was worried it might happen to him too, he said, “No, I’m not scared at all.”
The 16-year-old is now his family’s main breadwinner. His father lost his legs to gangrene seven years ago. As a double amputee, his main economic contribution is the 150 dinars (£170) he receives every month from the state as a Jordanian citizen. Obada’s mother, meanwhile, has her hands full caring for his younger siblings. “I’m the one who works the most – I work every day,” Obada said. “I’m proud of it. I feel like it’s normal… I go to school, but only occasionally. My dad can’t work at the stall by himself.”
Obada said he is saving up to buy an iPhone, and that at some point he would like to train to be a barber. These modest ambitions, along with the demands of earning for his family, make work a necessity for the teenager. And despite the challenges, he said he didn’t understand why some people wanted to stop children working. “Who would bring money for the house? If we have to stop, then who would bring money?” he asked, before sprinting off to speak to a customer who had just pulled up next to his stall.
