UAE - UNICEF Rehabilitation Programme forChildren Formerly Involved in Camel Racing (CICR)

Real Life Story

For Every ChildHealth, Education, Equality, ProtectionADVANCE HUMANITY

Hameed Musa worked in the UAE as a Child Formerly Involved in Camel Racing (CICR) for eight years. He was repatriated in 2005 and is now a grade I student at a village school in district Rahim Yar Khan

Hameed Musa comes from a village located at Hameed worked on a camel farm for eight years the edge of the Cholistan desert, 30 kilometres in the city of Al Ain, about one and a half hour east of Rahim Yar Khan in Southern Punjab. He drive from Dubai. His monthly wage was UAE lives with his parents and ten siblings in a mud- Dirham 600 (Pak. Rupees 10,000, US $164).walled house which can hardly accommodate a

Recalling his experience of working on the large family. camel farm, Hameed says: “For the first three

Hameed was only four when a woman child years I raced camels. It was frightening. I fell a trafficker approached his family and offered to number of times and hurt myself. Later, my take him to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). weight increased and I became too heavy for

the job. The Bedouin then assigned me to train, feed and water the camels.”

While working at the camel farm, Hameed was brutally beaten up by a supervisor one day. His leg was badly damaged. Even after spending five months in a UAE hospital and going through numerous surgeries, he still walks with a limp.

Hameed's father, Musa Chachar, recalls: “At first I was not interested in sending Hameed to Dubai. I wanted him to go to school. But the woman agent said that he will get an education there and his salary would help feed the whole family. I got tempted.”

He recalls what happened: “My uncle was the supervisor of the camel farm on which I worked. One morning, when my uncle was away, I felt unwell and told my Bedouin that I didn't want to ride the camel. He told me to rest. But the man who was filling in for my uncle beat me up with an iron rod. He broke my leg and I collapsed. My uncle found me lying on the sand in a pool of blood when he returned. He took me to a clinic from where they sent us to a big hospital in Abu Dhabi. I can now walk without a stick but I cannot play.”

Posing as his mother, the woman child trafficker While Hameed worked in the UAE, his earnings took Hameed to the southern city of Karachi by were received by his parents every three or four road and then to the UAE by air. months. With that money, his father purchased

UAE - UNICEF Rehabilitation Programme forChildren Formerly Involved in Camel Racing (CICR)

Real Life Story

For Every ChildHealth, Education, Equality, ProtectionADVANCE HUMANITY

BackgroundBackground

UAE - UNICEF Rehabilitation Programme forChildren Formerly Involved in Camel Racing (CICR)

Real Life Story

For Every ChildHealth, Education, Equality, ProtectionADVANCE HUMANITY

five acres of land, built a madrassa (religious school) and its boundary wall.

Hameed Musa is now 13 years old and a grade I student at a primary school in the district of Rahim Yar Khan in Southern Punjab. After working as a Child Formerly Involved in Camel Racing (CICR) in the UAE for eight years, Hameed was repatriated in 2005.

When Hameed returned, the only language he could speak was Arabic. He could not understand Urdu or Punjabi. His interest in Ghulam Mohiyuddin, head master at Hameed's academics has grown since he enrolled in school, says: “Hameed has been having school and his will to compete with other problems learning Urdu since the only language

he fully understands is Arabic. For almost a students is getting stronger by the day. He can year, he had problem distinguishing between now read and understand Urdu words.the Urdu and Arabic alphabets which affected his academic progress. As a result, he is still in grade I. He can understand the Quran well and has now started to show an overall improvement at school. Out of seventy children in this school, three have returned from the UAE. They all had problems communicating at the beginning. We pay special attention to these children and provide feedback to officials from the CPWB who regularly come to monitor their attendance.” Hameed is extremely happy to be back, He

Hameed's attendance in school is good and he says: “I have returned to my younger brothers, receives his education grant of Pak. Rupees nieces and nephews who were born while I was

in the UAE. I love to play with them, enjoy going 600 (US$ 10) per month regularly through the to school and thank God for reuniting me with Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau my family.” (CPWB). He has also received a bicycle that he

loves to ride.

Since His Return

May 2007

Since His Return