I RECENTLY read about a senior medicine student at King Abdulaziz University named Mustafa Jawhari and his two brothers and how their father encouraged them to start a small business. They operate a mobile food truck where they sell crêpes and waffles in Jeddah. I was impressed with the story because it is a great example of determination and strong will, and dispels the social stigma associated with this type of work. All of the brothers work in the same truck in shifts after college and share the profits among themselves. They have started a simple but profitable partnership. Young Saudi men and women should follow the example of the Jawhari brothers and not let social stigma stand in the way of them forging ahead and starting small businesses. Young men and women should stop taking a monthly allowance from their parents and should go out and work. Look at how their father encouraged them to go out and work. The food truck was his idea. This was a great move by a father who wanted his children to do something constructive with their time and earn money. I commend him and his way of thinking. Unfortunately, many fathers have reservations about this type of work. There is another important lesson that young men and women can learn from this story. Being a college student should not stand in the way of starting a small business and working while still at college. Students should learn to depend on themselves and find ways to earn money to help them during their college years. We should encourage our sons and daughters to do constructive things with their time and explain to them the opportunities that are on offer. Blaming expatriate workers and saying that they control jobs is not right. I hope the government authorities support college students who want to take out loans to start small businesses. Hard work always pays off. Those young brothers are proof that young Saudi men can work hard and become self-reliant.
