On the First of May, the entire world celebrates Labor Day. This is a holiday for those that represents the national wealth for each society. Laborers are the hope for the future, a better shining future. They deserve the celebration of the entire world on this day for their great contribution to building their countries. Laborers have their own pains and sorrows, they work hard to give their countries and families the best. Do we ever think of them? Of their problems and grievances? What can we do to show them our gratitude so they can keep on giving?
We have spoken to a few people, from very different social levels, regarding the laborer and his day's work.

The baker:
He was siting in a very hot room and I asked him what Labor Day means to him. He replied, "Labor Day is our day, and it is a good idea so that we could take a day off from work. I asked him if he felt the heat, he replied "Yes, but it is the work I like most, and I can stand everything. I feel quite happy and content, especially when I sell all the bread I make."

The blacksmith:
We first asked him about his profession, and how did he master it and the obstacles he faces during his work?
He said, "I learned my job from my father when I was very young. There are some obstacles that we face during our work but we overcome most of them in the end. For a blacksmith, there is one particular idea in his mind that he has to work hard to reach. People get the final product without any idea of the process the raw metal has been through.

The sculpture:
Yemeni history shows many signs of sculpting and artistic decorations. Doors and widows have been decorated with beautiful sculpturing and arabesque in almost every part in the country. Ancient Yemeni civilization reflects signs of the Yemeni character as a sculpture and an artist.
Then there are these plastic products that we buy from the market, as well as cloth, household goods, and many other things that we receive manufactured and ready to be used. The carpenter and the electrician and the plumber, there are many professionals who work to facilitate life for us and make the world a better place to live.

Cleaner:
This person who does his best to insure a cleaner world for us, who thinks about him, his life, his income, his family and children?
Many questions, and unfortunately they are without answers.
Karama Al Dani is a cleaner in one girl's high school, a 22 year-old widow with 8 children. She said that she studied through fifth grade, but then she left school. She works two shifts and gets YR 6,000 per month. Karama says that she suffers from the students negligence, they throw trash everywhere but the right place, which causes her to clean the school many times a day.

Ali Al Yasari, a street cleaner, started his work five months ago. He is married with 3 children. Ali said that he and his colleagues work from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and get paid YR 6000 per month. No medical examination or insurance or leaves, nothing but a salary that takes too long to be paid. Ali said that the carelessness of people causes them a lot of trouble, people throw everything on the street without paying any attention to the cleanness of their area and country. This is a poor behavior that deforms the face of the city. The cleaning laborers have many problems, such as lacking any form of medical care or compensation. The cleaner confronts various form of sickness due to his direct contact with dust and garbage. No masks are distributed to cleaners to help them avoid diseases, and most of them have air passage diseases.

We asked Ahmed Mohammed, a college student his opinion regarding cleaners and the work they perform? Ahmed said that the cleaner is an employee like other employees in offices and factories. He may be at a lower level, but as long as he does his work and earns his living he is no different than others.
Then we asked another person his opinion on cleaning labor, he replied "They do good work, but there is a sign of a management problem somewhere, either the labor or the manager, since there is still dirt and trash almost everywhere.
Those laborers suffer from many things, such as late and very low salaries, lack of masks, shoes and uniforms and no efficient an d new garbage containers. People should look at their condition, and help to improve their situation. After all, they are cleaning the city in which we all live, a matter that vitally concerns our health, not to mention public images of the city.

The daily paid laborer:
We asked one laborer sitting in the street, who looked very tired, he said he earns YR 400-500 a day. He smokes and chews qat, but occasionally he quits these habits to save money for more important things. He told his story of exhaustion and sorrow. Coming from the village and working with people who ignore his origin, if he was injured or died his family wouldn't know, and medical student would dissect his body.
Daily paid laborers sit on the streets waiting for a chance to work, while they should have a particular place of their own. It is not a good image to the city, but it is not our decision. Maybe the concerned parts could consider this fact, and come up with a useful solution for all sides.
Finally, we would like to present all laborers our best on their Day, thanking them for their hard work. Here's wishing them a better and brighter future.

By: Hanan Abad Al Humaidi

 

Last week, there was a seminar on ecotourism. There were a number of officials and clerks, as well as representatives of the private sector.

On this occasion, Ismail Al-Ghabiry of Yemen Times filed the following interviews with two officials.

1. Hector Ceballos Lascurain Hector is a Mexican architect and environmentalist. He works as a consultant or special advisor on ecotourism to several international organizations like IUCN (World Conservation Union), World Tourism Organization and the Ecotourism Society. He has done consulting work and research in 56 countries around the world in the field of ecotourism.
Right now he is in Yemen to develop a national ecotourism strategy for the country.

Q: What exactly is ecotourism or environmental tourism?
A: Ecotourism has to do with tourists visiting and enjoying the natural habitat. The idea is to protect and conserve these natural areas, while at the same time introducing cultural elements.
Ecotourism has become a tool for conservation and an instrument for sustainable development

Q: How do you define ecotourism within the Yemeni context?
A: Yemen has wonderful ecotourist attractions. You have beautiful natural resources, mountains, beaches, valleys, islands, especially the Socotra island, which is a unique place for endemic plants, animals especially birds. And you have a wonderful cultural heritage. The beautiful mountain villages, the traditional architecture, archeological sites, clean beaches, etc. In other words, you still have a lot of unspoiled natural habitat and strong elements of cultural heritage which make Yemen a potentially very important country in the future of Ecotourism.

Q: Who do you work with in Yemen?
A: I am a consultant working within the framework of a UNDP Program for the conservation of the ecology and environment here in Yemen. Within ecotourism, I work with Sub-Program 5. The program director is Ms. Najat Al Shami, an able woman who works for General Tourism Authority.

Q: How can you be optimistic about the future of tourism in Yemen when it is almost dead now?
A: The future can be very bright if some problems are solved in the near future. These are the serious issues related to safety in Yemen. Unfortunately, we have had some bad incidents, and we know that bad news travels faster than good news. All the world has heard what happened here in December, 1998 - the kidnapping and murdering of several tourists. The Yemeni authorities have to fix this image before we can expect real change. Once safety is assured in Yemen, then you have to promote this new image and bring in new ideas like ecotourism. Right now, the tourism flow has been going down over the last four months.

Q: What are the main attractions for tourism-related investments in Yemen?
A: First of all, let me tell you that businessmen can discover opportunities on their own. They do not need to be told.
In Yemen, there is for instance Socotra Island, which, if properly exploited, can be a haven for tourists, given its endemic plants and animals, as well as the beautiful beaches. Then there beautiful towns and cities like Tarim, Seiyoon, Shibam, Sanaa, etc. Investments in beaches and diving/snorkeling activities are also worthwhile.
The idea is to offer more facilities for the tourists to visit these places. You need professional guides that know about ecotourism, and can interpret the natural and the cultural heritage. You need appropriate lodging facilities. For example, tourists travel long distances without having restrooms available along the way.

Q: Can you share some aspects of the national ecotourism strategy draft you are preparing?
A: I am working on the national ecotourism strategy for Yemen. I will finish the final document in June. Though it contains no secrets, it is only appropriate that the relevant authorities have a look at it first before the general public can read it in the media.

2. Najat Al-Shami:
A young and confidant woman, Najat is the manager of Sub-Program 5 of the Ecotourism Project. She has her BA from Sanaa University.

Q: How do you asses this seminar?
A: This is part of the work we are doing here. Our program includes a training component because Ecotourism, as you may know, is a new concept here in Yemen.
The participants are learning a number of things as related to the concept. I have to say that this involves a lot of linkages and interconnections between many sectors.

Q: How seriously do our officials take tourism and its potential?
A: I think the talk is good. From the president to the prime minister to the minister to the chairman of the Tourism Authority, they all repeat that this is an important sector.

Q: And what is your feeling?
A: I am certain the potential is great. For a country in need of hard currency, tourism is indeed a winner.