Hussein, 13, and Omar, 10, finish their school homework early and rush to their work as helpers at a photo studio.

The duo has to work three hours daily after the school. “We love to help mom and dad in paying the house rent, most of my Syrian school fellows do the same,” Hussein says proudly with a broad smile on his face.

The family now lives in Kilis, a border town in Turkey. Hailing from Azaz district of Aleppo, Syria they fled to save themselves from the continuous artillery shelling.

Their mother, Najlaa, used to be an Arabic teacher. However, since they migrated a year ago, she couldn't find a suitable job for herself. The 35-year-old now volunteers in a humanitarian agency for a monthly salary of $300. Her husband, Hasan, holds a doctorate degree but works in a refugee school without pay.

“I feel so sad to see my little ones work but I have no other choice,” says a teary-eyed Najlaa softly adding, “It’s a battle for survival.”

Walking on the streets on Kilis one can see the drastic increase in child labour, mostly selling items such as cigarettes and napkins.

UNICEF estimates that one in 10 Syrian refugee children in the region is working.

UNHCR and its partners term it as one of the most widespread and complex of all child protection problems. According to the humanitarian organisation’s projections of a million Syrians likely to reside in Turkey in 2014, 795,000 will be children, of whom half a million will be of school going age.

Najlaa and Hasan try to make end meet with a meagre $150, after paying the same amount for rent. And if the boys don’t manage to bring home $200 a month they face skipping one meal a day.

The family decided not to live in the refugee camp and are thus not eligible for help from the Turkish government. “We may be working hard to live on our own but it’s much better than living in jail-like refugee camps,” Najlaa explains.

Turkey hosts more than 624,415 Syrians registered as refugees, housed in 14 camps along on its southern border. It provides the refugees with food, shelter, education and basic health services. Under the circumstances these camps are considered relatively better than similar camps in countries like Jordan and Lebanon.

That said the conditions in Turkey’s camps are far less than ideal. The refugees are not allowed to leave the campsite freely and in many instances, may also have to share their tent with other families and brave the cold winter.

However among those who fled from Syria so far choosing to live outside the camps are estimated to number over 60,000 while non-governmental organisations believe the figure has crossed 100,000 mark. Turkey offers residency to those Syrian carrying valid passports. Many believe that Ankara’s decision to call Syrians as guests deprives them from any refugee rights.

Metin Cetiner, international coordinator for the second largest Turkish charity, Kimse Yok Mu, explains, “I agree that our Syrian guests are losing out on their rights because we named them as guests. Unfortunately, this is our government’s decision so nothing much can be done. We have never approved of the government's Syria policy.”

International supports for the Turkish government on the issue stands at $175 million but Ankara has already spent $2.5 billion on Syrian refugees. Still, Turkey keeps its doors open for the Syrian people.

Like Najlaa, many Syrian wives and mothers suffer and struggle to preserve their self-respect and dignity.

Moufida’s story is similar to Najlaa’s. After fleeing from Khalidia district of Homs, a central city in Syria, the 39-year old mother of five begs on the streets of Istanbul.

Along with her two-year old, she asks for alms from passer-bys to pay a whopping $300 rent in Yenibosna district of the Turkish metropolis.

"My husband and I lived a good life in Syria by selling vegetables and fruits. Now we have lost everything, including our dignity,” she says ruefully. From month to month Moufida lives under the threat of eviction if they don’t manage to pay the rent on time.

Syrians can be seen begging for food or house rent in the populous streets of Istanbul as well as many eastern cities. Even more shocking is the fact that most of the beggars are children.

Exploiting war-stricken Syrians, Turkish land lords and property agents demand unduly high rents from the refugees while the Turkish government appears to look the other way.

Moufida points to her youngest child Mohamad who is selling napkins in the street with no hope of attending school.

Her husband, Mahmud, is getting medical treatment in a local hospital after being got shot by a sniper while the family was making their way to Turkey.

"I wanted to work in a factory like other Syrians,” Mahmud says adding, “But they said I wouldn’t get a job since I can’t speak Turkish.”

Syrians living in Turkey work are mostly confined to physical labour in construction work and agriculture as both sectors do not require proficiency in Turkish. Their wages range from $10 to $25 a day.

Some Syrians found work in restaurants, while others who managed to bring some money with them opened their own restaurants offering Syrian cuisine.

Thirty-year-old Sohib received a bullet in his leg while fleeing from Syria with his wife and child. Once in Turkey he considers himself lucky to find a job as a tea boy in a private organisation located in Istanbul’s Faith district. Able to communicate in basic Turkish, he can still manage his life well.

However, Sohib does not have a work permit like many Syrians living in Turkey. He is afraid he might get deported to the camps in case the authorities discover his illegal employment.

Though Ankara rebuts reports that Syrians have become an easy prey for exploitation, the ground realities are only worsening. According to Rasad Foundation, a survey organisation, many Syrians were fired from their work without any payment while many are being paid less than their Turkish counterparts.

"We cannot protest or complain,” Sohib says. “If we want our rightful dues we are simply asked to seek help from the police which obviously is not an option for us.”

The refugees fleeing civil war in the Arab nation fear being sent to the camps, which has not been a popular option amongst hard working and educated Syrians.

The Syrians with valid residency are deprived of health insurance by their employers. Though the government permits free medical treatment of Syrians in the government hospitals, the cost of medicines are still very high.

With growing domestic political tension amid graft row, a repeat of the Egypt-like u-turn by Turkey against Syrians continues to be their worst nightmare.

"We do not have any big dreams about future of Syria. Turkey is the only country which has been helping us so far, unlike Europe and the US” says Sohib as he hurries to pour tea in cup.

“But we have to be silent here to survive.”