the impact of PPIC-Work - Mohammed's story

I've left you hanging for a time with that somewhat heavy post. There will be more articulations of struggle to come, but for now, I'd like to share the heartwarming story of one of the PPIC-Work boys I interviewed in Aswan earlier this month.


Meet Mohammed, a sixteen year old computer-whiz from Aswan. Mohammed has been combining work and school since he was eight years old because he wanted to help take some of the burden off of his father and contribute to the household. Over the past eight years Mohammed has worked with a range of different businesses: a street vending enterprise, a construction company, a plumbing company, and now, a restaurant. He sees work as a positive force in his life: “At the age of eight many children can work… why shouldn’t I be working – gaining independence, and the understanding of how society works” he explains.

Over the past six years, Mohammed has participated in the full gamut of PPIC-Work programming through our Aswan partner, EACID. After learning about his rights, and that the work he was doing was unsafe, he left the construction industry at the age of 12 for a plumbing job. For the past three years he has worked in a restaurant, and has recently transitioned to work in the kitchen, now that he is older. “I have learned from my mistakes working in an unsafe environment and I won’t do it again,” he affirms.

Since participating in EACID’s educational programming Mohammed says he has learned about the importance of a code of conduct, his rights as a human being, the potential hazards in the workplace, and business skills (through the Ba’alty computer game). Mohammed loves the Ba’alty game and is easily one of the top players in Aswan. He says that Ba’alty has taught him how to invest his money so he will have something to live on in the future.

Mohammed has many aspirations for the future. After he graduates from high school next year he is thinking about starting a business of his own with the knowledge he has gained from EACID about the loan system, or working in business management. He wants to play a large role in developing the business so that if there are children working with him they will have a safe environment and receive better treatment than he did growing up.

Yet even more than he’d like to run a business, Mohammed is keen work with EACID in the future. He is passionate to educate working children about their rights, to help improve safety in the workplace, and to expand the Association’s non-financial programming to other parts of the country. And, Mohammed has some experience with spreading the PPIC-Work message already: he has encouraged other working children to join EACID’s programs, and has accompanied younger siblings to meetings with potential employers. Business owners must agree to the code of conduct he outlines (whether they’re an EACID client or not) if they want his family members to work with them.

With the help of Mohammed, the PPIC-Work concept is touching the lives of working children beyond the scope of EACID’s loans or programming. And one must only look at his confident smile or vision-filled eyes to see the difference PPIC-Work has made in his own life already.

Yella Mohammed!