Stranded in Saudi Arabia

IMAGINE this: you are the father and breadwinner not just of one family but a long, extended one that reaches up to nieces and nephews and elders. Because of a stable job in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, that role was sustainable for years. You were the tall, leafy tree that gave shade to the weak and jobless in your clan. Your branches extend far and wide, offering your wife and children a financial nest for them to huddle in.

And now, the sun refuses to shine. Darkness has set in. Your branches have sagged. The nest is about to fall. In Saudi Arabia, we are not talking about one or two trees, but of thousands. We have a forest of grown men, calloused by their experiences working in the desert kingdom, now prone to crying fits and depression. One of these workers committed suicide. At 5:30 a.m. last Feb. 29, a Filipino welder hanged himself inside the Building Materials Trading Co., a few steps away from the company’s accommodations.