A day in the life of Salem

Salem usually wakes up at 7, washes his face, combs his hair, then starts his day with a cup of coffee and a cigarette, which Salem says: “I have to hide from my mother, who prevents me from smoking due to health issues”.

Salem started smoking when he was 9: “My friends and I used to love smoking so much, but never had enough money to buy cigarettes, so we made fake cigarettes from tree leaves and smoked them”.

Starting the day, supporting his wife with house chores

Salem starts his day by sweeping the floors, washing the dishes, and cleaning the house. Salem says: “I am always worried about my ability to make enough money to support the family, take care of my sick uncle, keeping my marriage together, and paying off my loans”.

9:00 am to 5pm: cleaning work

Currently Salem works an 8-hour shift for a big clothing warehouse, where he gets paid 1 JOD per hour. This salary is barely enough to sustain a large family like Salem’s. Salem says: “My loan repayments alone are 150 JOD a month, so my wife and I have to work multiple jobs just to be able to get by”.

On the road

After his cleaning job, Salem goes to the nearby highway to beg, sell bread and chewing gum to passing cars. Salem says: “It is illegal to beg in Amman, and it often gets me in trouble with the authorities, but I have to do it, trying to make money with anything I can to put food on the table.”

Watching TV

Salem likes spending time with his friends, but it’s hard to find enough time between jobs to actually do it. When they can afford it, they usually meet at the coffee shop to smoke hookah. When Salem has some free time, he likes watching TV, especially songs and Syrian series, and occasionally the news.

End of day: At the end of his day, Salem likes to stand around the neighborhood, talking with people, and flirting with girls that pass by. Salem adds: “I do love my wife but flirting is something that I cannot stop to do, because it amuses me”.