FREE Established 1961 Friday ISSUE NO: 17811 SHAABAN 14, 1440 AH FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2019 The hands of work, Traditions rob Iraq Champions League failures haunt 4 a photo essay 10 women, girls of rights 47 Guardiola as Man City fall short again Kuwait ranks 108th worldwide in 2019 Press Freedom Index See Page 9 2 Friday Local Friday, April 19, 2019 Expat resignations PHOTO OF THE DAY Local Spotlight By Muna Al-Fuzai [email protected] eports of mass resignations by expatriates in Kuwait, especially teachers, doctors and engi- Rneers, sparked a debate over the reasons for their sudden decision to leave. I believe these jobs are impor- tant because of the shortage of workers in such fields negatively affects and delays work. For example, one dai- ly said the education ministry recently received some resignations of expatriate teachers, especially of scientif- ic subjects such as physics, chemistry and computers, and most of them did not give reasons for leaving. Other reports spoke about resignations by engineers and doctors, but I did not find a specific number or per- centage that could lead to panic or anxiety. Maybe these resignations are normal, and were previously not under focus. I believe that it is the right of any expatriate in Kuwait to submit their resignation if it is important and beneficial to their personal interests or for any other rea- son, even if they have got better offers and privileges in Antique cameras for sale are displayed at the Friday Market in AlRai. — KUNA Maybe these Entire generation in danger of being lost resignations are normal, and were previously not under focus Kaffeeklatsch By Shakir Reshamwala another country. This is their right and no one can argue [email protected] about it; but the reasons to resign are important. So, when a doctor or engineer chooses to leave the ccording to a report this week, nearly a fifth of all dren seek approval from their peers. If they keep bad country, can the reason be their eagerness for a better students in Kuwait have experimented with drugs. company, they can easily be sucked into a whorl of addic- salary, or is there something else that needs attention? I AThe Director of Drugs Control General tion and thievery. This has a domino effect - the students’ think the resignations of doctors need a review of their Department Brig Bader Al-Ghadouri said in a statement grades suffer and they may even drop out of school. Even salaries and benefits given to them and their families, that 18.6 percent of the 22,434 public and private school if they manage to keep out of trouble and don’t run afoul which may have led to their decision to leave. students surveyed recently have abused drugs. of the law, the lack of a proper education will hamper I wonder if the conditions of expatriates in Kuwait are Meanwhile, drugs-related deaths increased to 116 in 2018 them for the rest of their lives, trapping them in a vicious a warning of further resignations in other sectors. What after 68 such cases were recorded in 2017. quagmire of depression, poverty and low self-esteem. sectors are likely to be abandoned by expatriates? Do These are shocking figures. Even if only a portion of Kuwait is a conservative society, and issues like drug expatriates resign as a result of increased charges them get hooked, the fact that so many schoolchildren addiction are not usually spoken about openly. Having an including health fees, rent and school fees? Have some of have dabbled with narcotics is very disturbing. The statis- addict in the family is a source of shame, which may lead the expatriates started to send back their families and tics also raise some troubling questions. Firstly, how can to a reluctance in seeking help. Rehab options are also live alone in Kuwait because they cannot afford to live thousands of students get access to drugs so easily? It’s few. Moreover, expat families fear that instead of their here as a family? not as if drug pushers are lurking on every street corner addict children being viewed as victims, they may be These resignations have caused controversy. Some or dark alley. This means some students have contacts treated as criminals, especially if anti-social behavior is considered the issue of resignations as normal that with clandestine networks and dealers, and through them involved. This can lead to a summary deportation, further should not cause concern, but there are those who see other students procure drugs. breaking apart an already shattered family. the matter, especially of teachers, as a danger to the edu- Secondly, when it comes to money, we all know stu- The report should be a wakeup call for all stakeholders cational process because a shortage of teachers can dents don’t have much of it. So from where do they get the in the fight against abuse of drugs - parents, teachers and affect students and the educational process. Whether cash to feed this expensive habit? Once their pocket mon- the authorities. Children should be made aware of the those teachers choose to work in other countries or ey runs out, addicts have no option but to steal from their dangers of drugs and the importance of focusing on their return to their home countries, we will lose hands that we parents and friends or resort to petty crime. Thirdly, the education. Instead of parking them in front of a screen or may not be able to replace immediately. report reveals a degradation of the social, familial and leaving them to their devices - both literally and figura- We in Kuwait should pay attention to the conditions moral fabric. Most parents in the country - both Kuwaiti tively - parents should encourage their kids to pursue of expatriates working in all sectors, with a focus on the and expat - have fulltime jobs, resulting in delegating the extracurricular activities and hobbies that keep them con- jobs that we cannot replace easily. I think this issue upbringing of children to maids, nannies or preschools structively engaged and develop their talents. An idle mind should not pass as mere news. Kuwait will continue to and nurseries. is indeed the devil’s workshop. We all have to save our need skilled and experienced workers. Deprived of a loving environment at home, many chil- children from the scourge of drugs before it’s too late. 4 Friday Friday, April 19, 2019 Local Photo Essay uch has been said in recent years about the Without weighing into the discussion, Kuwait Times’ imbalance of locals vs expats in the demo- photographers have conducted a random photographic graphics of Kuwait. Kuwaitization has aimed to survey of the work done by people living in Kuwait. Here Mrectify this imbalance by encouraging more lo- is the results for your consideration. cals to take up work typically performed by expatriates. When it comes to the actual work done, we contend — Photos by Joseph Shagra and that it is the skill, dedication, training and competence of Yasser Al-Zayyat the hands doing the work - and not the nationality of their owner - that matters. Friday 5 Friday, April 19, 2019 Local 6 Friday Local Friday, April 19, 2019 Darkness in Kuwait Residents decry lack of street lights in Farwaniya block 5 By Ben Garcia lights here,” he added. gerous. I’ve heard about many snatching and robbing inci- An Indian family told Kuwait Times that when night falls, dents by people in cars who target pedestrians,” the couple lock 5 in Farwaniya has several large residential build- they never allow their children to go to the baqalas. “I fear said. “After midnight, you can barely find any lights here. You ings and businesses like baqalas, restaurants, pharma- for the safety of several kids who I sometimes see playing fear for the safety of your loved ones - you could be the next Bcies and auto garages, but unfortunately no street- outside, as they cannot be seen by passing cars and can get victim or get hit by cars.” lights. The streets are barely lit by adjoining establishments hit. Also, there are some criminal activities going on here A Bangladeshi working as cleaner whose accommodation and buildings, and are full of cars parked all over. Adding to because the suspects can easily hide in the dark. I hope this is located in the area said he is used to the same environ- the grim situation of the area are huge containers and trucks place will get the attention from the municipality. We have ment in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. “I think these areas are almost parked in empty lots. reported this issue many times, but there hasn’t been any similar. The only difference here is a lack of garbage on the “I’ve been here for 20 years and I haven’t seen street- action yet,” they said. streets. It is cleaner here compared to Jleeb, but more dan- lights since,” an elderly Arab man told Kuwait Times. “It’s The Indian couple said from 6 pm to around 11 pm, there gerous. After the shops close, we only see darkness,” he told dangerous in the night to walk, especially for women, since is brightness from surrounding structures, but some of these Kuwait Times. Since there is no designated parking for resi- there are lots of parked trucks. I hope the municipality will buildings and baqalas switch off their lights when they close dents, cars are parked almost everywhere haphazardly, and be able to do something and install the much-needed street- their establishments.