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VIDEO: A day in the life of a young Syrian refugee

MEE spends a day with a young Syrian refugee in Iraqi Kurdistan as he struggles to make money to help support his family.
Rami Shahoo works shining shoes in the streets of Iraqi Kurdistan to help support his Syrian refugee family (MEE/Abed Al Qaisi)

Nine-year-old Rami Shahoo is a Syrian refugee who has lived in Iraqi Kurdistan for the past two years. 

Every day he takes to the streets with his shoe polishing kit and stays out till at least 9pm, scouring the streets for people whose shoes he can clean.

He can't go to school because he needs to work in order to help his family pay their rent and buy food. 

MEE spent a day with him to see how he fares. Over the course of a long day, all Rami managed to take home was the equivalent of $0.80.  

Despite his dismay at not being able to find more customers, he displays a strong work ethic and, when he finally does hold a pair of shoes in his hand to polish, he contentedly says as he scrubs: "This is the best thing in life, to work, isn't that right?" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQrJNkw3fJw&feature=youtu.be
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