The unbearable easyness of punishment
N is a single mother of a young boy, aged 2 years and 3 months. N used to be a drug addict but has been clean for 5 years now.
Since the birth of her little boy she's been unemployed. She lives on social security, trying very hard to be a good mother to little H and not go back to drugs.
N. doesn't read nor write and in the past worked as a cleaner.
H's kindergarden starts each morning at 8.00. He's always on time, well dressed and well fed. N. tries very hard to be a good mother to him. Her older children were taken away from her into adoption, while she was still on drugs.
N. wants to work and when the labor exchange sent her to a place to clean an office, they were happy to have her start working for them, she 's a good cleaner and always has a friendly laugh on her face.
The first day they allowed her to start at 8.30, so she could bring H. to his kindergarden, on her way to work.
Yet the second day they told her she should start every day at 7.00 o'clock.
She said she couldn't as she has to take her son to his kindergarden, which opens only at 8.00 and she doesn't yet know other parents who might be able to help her out, as the kid is new in that kindergarden.
They told her not to come back. She went back to the labor exchange where they told her she will not be given her social security payment for three months "as a punishment for refusing to work".
She cried and demanded to speak to managment, who told her the same thing.
She tried to explain to them she has no solution for her little son, who's only 2+ years old and cannot go by himself to kindergarden.
N is considering returning to prostitution....
Jaffa, 2006
Since the birth of her little boy she's been unemployed. She lives on social security, trying very hard to be a good mother to little H and not go back to drugs.
N. doesn't read nor write and in the past worked as a cleaner.
H's kindergarden starts each morning at 8.00. He's always on time, well dressed and well fed. N. tries very hard to be a good mother to him. Her older children were taken away from her into adoption, while she was still on drugs.
N. wants to work and when the labor exchange sent her to a place to clean an office, they were happy to have her start working for them, she 's a good cleaner and always has a friendly laugh on her face.
The first day they allowed her to start at 8.30, so she could bring H. to his kindergarden, on her way to work.
Yet the second day they told her she should start every day at 7.00 o'clock.
She said she couldn't as she has to take her son to his kindergarden, which opens only at 8.00 and she doesn't yet know other parents who might be able to help her out, as the kid is new in that kindergarden.
They told her not to come back. She went back to the labor exchange where they told her she will not be given her social security payment for three months "as a punishment for refusing to work".
She cried and demanded to speak to managment, who told her the same thing.
She tried to explain to them she has no solution for her little son, who's only 2+ years old and cannot go by himself to kindergarden.
N is considering returning to prostitution....
Jaffa, 2006
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4 comments:
Terrible and yet so typical. Sorry to keep bringing up movies (!), but have you seen אור?
I helped her filing a complaint and getting free legal help. But even if this will succeed, these procedures take time.
A Muslim aid group are helping her with food but she's one of many.
In the mean time she has no income, but what was worse for her was the way she has been made feel "nothing", as if she's just a "little worthless object which can be shelved, who cares". (Her words).
Yes i have seen אור", in fact Keren Yedaya's new film which is in the process of making, is being shot in Jaffa, where she currently lives.
That is SO SO mean!! I'm sure that if they wanted to, they could find some loophole in the fucked-up law that would enable them to not "have to" punish her, and to claim that she "refused to work".
That's not only repulsive, it doesn't make any sense.
What is Keren's new film about? (If it's OK to tell)
I suspect N is not the only one, her case is just a very extreme example, but i've heard about other ones as well, it appears to be some sort of policy. The price of that policy is paid by weakened epople such as N and her young child.
It makes me furious. It's so easy to abuse a weakened person, and the price she pays is SO high....
As to Keren's new movie in the making. Cannot say a thing, sorry.
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