[LifeStyle] Mobile work in northwestern Syria.. A simple way of life to earn a living

[SnO]

Northern Syria - Mobile work in Idlib, northwestern Syria, has become a widely popular phenomenon for those looking for sources of livelihood from small business owners, and a new way of life for many professionals and craftsmen who have been forced by life conditions to adapt to the difficult living situation.

Due to the high prices of rents for shops in northwestern Syria, and the inability of residents to launch their own commercial projects, many have made their cars and mobile vehicles a center for practicing their profession, which secures the expenses of daily life.

 

 

 

 

French sweets in an ambulance
After great effort and exhaustion, the displaced Syrian, Steve Al-Sakka, succeeded in opening his own project in the city of Idlib, by converting an old ambulance into a shop selling sweets and French pastries, in an area where people search for a loaf of bread before dessert.

And Steve Al-Sakka (37 years old), who comes from Damascus to northern Syria, has extensive experience in making Western sweets, which he carried with him to the place of displacement, to present unfamiliar types of pastries to the residents of the region.

Al-Sakka says - in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net - that the idea of the project was generated by him after he watched video recordings on the YouTube application, of successful projects about mobile work in the field of providing sweets and meals through cars and mobile vehicles.

What prompted Al-Saqqa to use the ambulance as a center of work is the high rents of shops to “imaginary” numbers, as he describes it, as the monthly rent for the shop ranges between 400 to 500 dollars, which is a number that he cannot secure.

Idlib - The fish of street vendor Abdul Aziz attracts the attention of passers-by in Idlib, especially children
The fish of the street vendor Abdel Aziz attracts the attention of passers-by in Idlib (Al-Jazeera)
The confectionery maker, in his thirties, indicates that he encountered difficulties during the construction of his modest project related to the preparation of the car, the addition of the oven, and the tools for making pastries and sweets within a very narrow space, in addition to the possibility of presenting the products to customers.

Regarding the demand for Western sweets offered by Al-Saqqa, he confirmed that the people were initially wary of buying these items that are not circulated in the region, but the experiences of some encouraged them to turn out and buy again.

According to Al-Sakka, his work provides him with a source of income for the daily expenses of food and drink, and he finds special pleasure in it, despite the obstacles that stand in front of him, the most prominent of which are financing and moving by car laden with equipment from one place to another.

Mobile restaurant
Like Al-Saqqa, Ahmed Al-Saeed strives to make a fried kibbeh sandwich for a customer using a small cart that has become more like a small mobile restaurant that serves hot meals from the famous Aleppian food.

On one of the street corners, residents buy kibbeh sandwiches, which are moderately priced compared to other fast foods. A young man from Aleppo offers this sandwich, to which he adds tomatoes and special spices, with a cold cup of ayran.

Al-Saeed says that it is almost impossible to obtain a small shop in northwestern Syria, because prices have accompanied massive inflation, and renting a store requires large capital and a semi-guaranteed commercial project in order to avoid material losses.

And Al-Saeed indicated - in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net - that mobile work saves him large expenses related to rent, taxes, and restaurant equipment such as tables, chairs, utensils, and others.

- The ornamental fish seller earns a little money to secure the daily sustenance of his family
The ornamental fish seller earns a little money to secure the daily sustenance of his family (Al-Jazeera)
wandering fish
In contrast to investing in food and drink projects, Abdulaziz Al-Ali chose the profession of selling ornamental fish and birds on a small wooden cart in the center of Idlib, drawing attention to his glass tanks in which his colorful fish swim.

Around the chariot of the Most High, many children and boys circle, watching with passion and love the small fish that make their way in the water, while the calmness of the place is interrupted by the roar of warplanes that threaten humans and fish with death.

Al-Ali says - in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net - that his work relies on a small amount of money in exchange for small profits that barely make ends meet, in light of the high cost of living and the struggle of the population in Idlib to survive.

But the work may not even need a cart or heavy tools, as dozens of young men and children of primary school age resort to carrying buckets and pieces of cloth, in order to work in washing cars, moving between the alleys and alleys of the city, in search of customers for a small amount that brings bread and vegetables.

In Idlib, mobile work seems to be a way of life associated with displacement and mobility, as the two things are similar in movement and travel towards safety and livelihood, which has become dear to the war-weary population of Syria.

 

https://www.aljazeera.net/lifestyle/2023/6/30/العمل-المتنقل-شمال-غربي-سوريا-أسلوب