3 hours ago 7661
– A Kakamega county woman was subjected to modern slavery when she applied for work in Oman
– She was paid less than half her promised salary and overworked
– As part of her job, she was forced to wash the corpse of a dead woman and could be beaten anytime aside from being denied food
A Kakamega county woman washed the body of a woman who had died of diabetes. This was after she was forced to do it as past of her job description.
Beatrice Ichai had risked her life to go into servitude as a maid in Oman in 2015 agter an agent promised her show would be earning KSh 70,000 a month.
“The Arab world is hell on earth for Kenyan girls working as maids. I was meant to be paid a lot of money but I ended up receiving only KSh 20,000,”explained Ichai.
She told of how she was practically a slave and was only allowed two hours of sleep in the corridor just outside the bathroom. She was paid the salary for three months and then forced to work seven others without pay.
“Life was difficult but I had to persevere. You would be beaten anytime and denied food and other basic needs. I waited until I was paid so that I could run but that did not happen,” explained Ichai.
Eventually, after 10 months of slavery, she sought assistance from the Kenyan Embassy who made her employers pay air fare for her to return home.
“Some who remain stranded there end up in prostitution. They risk being killed because working in a foreign country with such cruelty is difficult,” added Ichai as quoted in the Standard on Saturday, June 25.
Due to financial constraints to complete her education in Human Resource Management at Makerere University, Ichai had opted to go to Oman after attempts to raise funds from hawking fruit and confectionery did not yield good money.
“I returned home worse than I had left. I do not have money to continue with my education or continue the Life Skills programme I begun in primary schools in the county. I am calling on well wishers to support this program,” concluded Ichai.
No comments:
Post a Comment