Young Syrian orphan becomes family's sole provider

AL-BAB, Syria

The Al-Bab district of Aleppo is home to 11-year-old Mustafa Mardini, who lost his father and two siblings in a Syrian airstrike and has since been providing for his family by digging graves in the region.

A year after the devastating attack in 2015, Mardini and his family were forced to leave Aleppo. They found refuge in a camp in Al-Bab, which was liberated through Türkiye’s Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016.

Mardini has taken on the weighty responsibility of digging graves for the past three years to support and provide for his family.

As an orphan, he earns a meager income of 40-50 Turkish liras ($1.7-2.1) per day, toiling with digging tools from morning till evening.

“I am doing this job to take care of my family. I work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. I could not go to school because it was costly. I have to work because we have no money,” he told Anadolu.

Expressing his longing for his late father and siblings, Mardini reminisces about the joyous times they spent together, going to the park and indulging in treats.

“I wish my father and siblings were with me. Like other children, I would like to play and go to the amusement park, but we do not have enough money. I would be very happy if my father were alive,” he said.

“I wish for him to have a better life. I want him to go to school like other children,” said Um Mustafa, Mardini’s mother. Despite their difficult circumstances, she hopes her son will have a better life.

“Life is tough, and besides Allah and Mustafa, we have no one else. The burden of our household rests on his young shoulders, as there is no one else to rely on,” she added.