Personal

1. Are they being treated fairly?

I chose this question because this is a question that everyone would like to know about and that would make my poem/song more interesting.

2. How much to they earn?

This question is to show whether they are being treated deficiently in Qatar or not and it would be an important content in my poem/song.

3. Where are the laborers from?

The answer of this question would describe the laborers which is something pretty important in my poem/song.

4. How long do they work daily?

The answer of this question would explain their hard labor and that would make the readers touched and continue reading.

5. How are their living conditions?

The answer of this question would show the laborers’ lifestyle and many readers would like to know about the laborers which would attract the readers as well.

Gather Information

1. List resources found.

Workers Coming to Doha

Labor Suicide

Qatarsucks.com

Ambe Recruiting Company

Dubai Strikers 'to be deported'

Nepali Laborers Deported from Qatar

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Qatar Labor Force

Labor Wages

2. Explain how or why each resource may be reliable.

Workers Coming to Doha - I think this source is reliable because it's part of the news and there's nothing to lie about.

Labor suicide - The information in this source are in two places. Therefore, the information must be pretty accurate.

Qatarsucks.com - This source is written by civilians in Doha and they are not bias.

Ambe Recruiting Company - This is Ambe's website. Therefore they would lie. I dont think this source is reliable.

Dubai Strikers "to be deported" - Al Jazeera is a well-established news source so it should be reliable.

Nepali Laborers Deported from Qatar - This source is definitely reliable because the sources are stated at the end of the article.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears - I watched the documentary of Blood, Sweat, and tears and they interviewed some laborers. I don't see how this documentary could be unreliable.

Qatar Labor Force - This source doesn't say much about laborers in the Middle East.

Labor Wages - This information was gotten from the arabic newspaper and it was pretty much what was said in the Blood, Sweat, and Tears documentary.

3. Choose best resources.

Labor Wages

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Qatarsucks.com

Nepali Laborers Deported from Qatar

4. Compose a poem using info from chosen resources.

Organize Information

1. Arrange gathered information.

Labor Wages

• Labor foreman, salary 800 Riyals (approx $220), working hours 5am to 5pm.

• Builder, salary 700 Riyals (approx $190), working hours 6am to 6pm. No off day.

• Builder, salary 700 Riyals, working hours 6am to 4-5pm.

• Road builder, salary 500 Riyals (approx $137) , 11 working hours a day. No off day.

• Road building foreman, salary 800 Riyals (approx $220) includes 4 overtime hours/day at 4 Riyals/hour. 2 off days a month.

Blood, Sweat and Tears

• There are 10 million laborers in the gulf from Asian countries such as Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

• The laborers came to help finance their families but they are forced to work in inhumane conditions.

• According to the Indian embassy, 109 Indian laborers committed suicide in the UAE in 2006 alone.

• The laborers earn between US$5 and $7 a day.

• The employers take their passports away.

• Wage isn’t always given.

• Don’t get paid 1-2 years because they have to pay their debts.

• The standard charge is $1600.

• Ambe recruits the laborers.

Qatarsucks.com

• It’s the first time the laborers are leaving their village.

• They do not understand the contract they are signing until they start working at the construction sites.

• The practice of charging the worker for this cost of flights and visa is common even though it’s illegal.

• One laborer in Qatar told Al Jazeera he paid $2,500 for his visa.

• A worker from India said he was originally offered $220 but is getting paid $185, which is not enough to support his family back in India.

• A worker in Qatar said he have been working for 30 months, but have been paid for only four months.

• The laborers don't have food, water, and electricity inside their accommodation.

• Deaths in the workplace remain an unaddressed issue throughout the region.

• Early this year, at a major site in Doha, Qatar, a wall collapsed killing four workers.

Nepali Laborers Deported from Qatar

• 127 Nepali laborers were deported from Qatar for demanding health insurance and a higher pay.

• The deported workers were employed by al-Huda Engineering Works.

• They are kept on cold floors with handcuffs on their hands.

• The company sent some of them straight to the airport from detention without even giving them a chance to go back to their rooms and collect their belongings and hard-earned money.

• According to Sri Lanka’s ambassador, the laborers are being exploited and not paid the salary they deserve.

Determine Appropriateness

1. Discuss with teachers or friends regarding appropriateness.

3. Compose poem with suitable information.

__Deceived Laborers__

Ten million laborers in the Middle East

All coming with good spirits

What was expected all deceived

They received nothing but empty promises

Came with open hearts

Looking forward to a brighter future

In return

A great disappointment

Make a living

Always given difficult projects

Never complaining always giving

Any complaints could cause deportation

Working in their blood, sweat and tears

Only earning a meager wage

In this modern 21st century!

Shopping malls are built

But yet they are restricted from entering

All they can go to is back to their labor camp

To face the four walls of boredom

If wishes could come true

I wish the laborers would be treated better

At least given the simple right

To be treated the way a decent being should be treated.