For ten dollars

For ten dollars

Middle East Images

Sistan and Baluchistan with an area of 181,785 Km 2, located in the southeast of Iran, is the largest province of Iran. Farming and animal husbandry have always been the main job in this region. Due to the droughts in the past few years, this province is known as the most deprived region in Iran. Considering the very long borderline of this province with Pakistan and Afghanistan, many villagers, who have been deprived of work and income, have no choice for a living other than doing a very hard and dangerous job called fuel-carrying. Among people, those with better economic conditions use their own vehicles for fuel-carrying. Even some of the children and adolescents drop out of school and work as drivers or driver’s mates of the fuel-carrier vehicles in order to help the family’s economy. In order to make a living, they collect fuel from different cities of the province with their own motorbikes and ride their motorbikes on very long and dangerous roads to take the fuel to the borders of Pakistan.

These motorbike riders earn very small amounts of money since they can carry only small amounts of fuel. Many have to ride several hours from neighboring cities such as Khash, Iranshahr, and Mehrestan to reach the border city of Saravan.
Then they must cover impassable and rocky paths to reach the borders of Pakistan where they have to pass rocks and, sometimes, mountains to transfer the fuel to the borders. Some riders, when climbing up, lose their control and fall down into valleys with their 180L cargo causing severe wounds and even death.
After all of these dangers, fuel-carriers are sometimes caught by bandits and lose not only their entire cargo but also their motorbikes. Sometimes arrested by border police forces and, thus, their motorbike and fuel are confiscated. Due to these dangers and difficulties, these fuel-carriers can work only twice a week and earn only twenty dollars every week.
The strict measures applied at the borders of the countries have made these motorbike riders’ jobs more difficult so that the number of individuals who can make a living from this job is gradually reduced. This collection includes portraits that illustrate the fuel-carries along with their vehicle, which is their main tool for making income, at the time of starting their dangerous journey.

Ibrahim, 24 years old, living in iranshahr. 10$ per week. All men in my family were ranchers. But because of lack of water it is not profitable to do that job now. So that made me to start doing this job instead.
vasim, 23 years old, living in Saravan, 10$ per week. A few years ago my older brother died while riding up the mountains with his motorcycle. It’s still so dangerous to do this job but I have to go through the same mountains to make a life for my children.
Abdolghani, 27 years old, 10$ per week. On the long road that these fuel-carriers cover, sometimes bandits steal their fuel, mobile phones, and other things that they might have with themselves. In addition to the danger of bandits, they might be arrested by border guards and security officers and, thus, lose their whole cargo as well as their motorbikes.
Amanollah, 30 years old, 10$ per week He works as a worker in his own city during the first half of the week and spends the second half to achieve the 10$ that he earns for his 36-hour journey.
Eslam, 33 years old, 10$ per week He had dropped out of school when studying in the first grade of high school. At first, he went to the border as a driver’s mate but now he works as a fuel-carrier with his own motorbike. Due to the poor educational facilities of the region and also to help the family’s income, many of the adolescents living in this region drop out of school in order to help provide the monthly expenses of the family.
Yadollah, 34 years old, living in Iranshahr, 10$ per week The recent drought forced us to abandon our farms. We have no alternative choice but to do this job.
Yaser, 34 years old, 10$ per week Many of the fuel-carriers have to pass rocky and mountain ways along which the motorbike riders sometimes fall down into the valleys with their 180L fuel cargo causing serious injuries and damages to them.
Yusef, 32 years old, 10$ per week Yusef, who has migrated from Afghanistan to Baluchistan, has no other choice than adopting this job to make a living and provide the monthly expenses of his family.
Abed, 30 years old, 10$ per week The dryness of the surrounding rivers and the difficulty of farming forced him to adopt this difficult job to make a living for his family.
Asad, 34 years old, 10$ per week The lack of alternative jobs for the youths of this region has forced many of them to choose this dangerous job for a living.
Jasem, 27 years old, 10$ per week Having no job forced him to adopt this job. Every time, he travels 12 hours to cover the rocky way from Saravan to the border of Pakistan in order to sell his fuel.
Osman, 29 years old, 10$ per week The dryness of the surrounding rivers and the difficulty of farming has forced many of the men in this region to adopt this difficult job for a living.
Jalil, 25 years old, living in sib souran, 10$ per week I chose this business because i wanted to help my family’s. Without this job we’re cannot afford to make a living in this terrible economy.
Nasir, 37 years old, living in mehrestan, 10$ per week. I used to work as a chef in a local restaurant. The place is now closed since people cannot afford to eat in a restaurant. Thus I bought this motorcycle to start doing this harsh job instead.
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