By Augustine Kabooha.
Search for informal employment outside Uganda continues to endanger jobless youths especially girls who are trafficked to the Middle East countries by fraudulent agents to serve as domestic employees.
Jubilee radio has interacted with two young girls from Fort-portal and Kasese who were recently rescued from Saudi Arabia and Oman respectively by Catholic Church Holy Cross Sisters attached to the Association of Religious in Uganda.
According to the testimonies when in the Middle East ladies are subjected to cruel treatment like forced labor, sexual abuse, sacrifice to spirits, removal of body organs among others.
Government through the ministry of Labor, Gender and Social Development is yet to streamline procedures for employment abroad by liaising with labor exporting companies to ensure rights of Ugandans are not violated in the Arab countries.
Ordeal! (Angela Atwine) not real names from Fort-portal.
After serving in three homes as a housemaid for 1year where I was not treated well I decided to escape and camp at the offices of the agent company that took me to Saudi Arabia but the workers in office never allowed me to travel back to Uganda claiming my two years contract was still pending. I couldn’t facilitate my return because all my documents including passport, and money were confiscated the day I reached.
I was very sick with all my legs swollen; I was experiencing terrible dreams and the fact that my soul had been sacrificed to the spirits of the houses where I worked. I couldn’t continue working because I couldn’t stand or walk by myself. In the third house when I complained of sickness, my bosses closed me in a house for three days without food or drink.
For the entire one year I was experiencing snake bites both physically and during night mares with a lot of pain across my body parts. While at export company offices there was no one willing to help me together with other girls who had come for rescue. We were forced to sleep under the big tree for close to three months without food or drinks.
(Joan Kiiza) not real names from Bwera Kasese.
After reaching Oman all my documents were confiscated and later subjected to inhuman treatment by my bosses. I was not allowed to sleep for two years I spent in Oman working as housemaid.
There is a lot of suffering in the Arab countries, I went through all sorts of bad treatment ranging from spending sleepless nights, not allowed to eat, not allowed to access medical care, eating expired packed foods and drugs. I worked 24hrs for 2years washing cars, cleaning houses, cooking, washing, looking after children and old people among others.
Human Torture.
Joan Kiiza not real names says that after telling her bosses how she was planning to return to Uganda, she was given three options. Continuing with work, killing her or being thrown out of the house.
There is one time I fell sick to coma and when I gained conscious I realized that they had injected me with poison chemicals which almost made me insane
Journeying from Uganda.
Kiiza says she was connected by a friend who had no link to any labor export companies. I traveled by road from Kasese to Kampala up to Kenyan capital Nairobi, while in Kampala my friend handed me over to a man whose names are not known to me. He was a driver of a transit lorry on the Kampala Busia road. While in the lorry before reaching the border the man advised me to act as his girlfriend because I had no required documents hence fears that we might be arrested since I don’t know Swahili. I accepted luckily enough we bypassed the roadblock.
When in Nairobi the transit lorry driver linked with my Boss in Oman who sent money for my passport before boarding an airplane to Oman.
Another victim Angela Atwine not real name speaks out. I was connected by my aunt who heard adverts on the radio of one of the labor companies in Fort-portal (names withheld). She linked with the company which registered me after paying millions of money. Later I arrived in Saudi Arabia
Labor export companies.
Joseph Mutabingwa a human rights defender attached to African Faith Justice Network and Association of Religious in Uganda says that most of the complains that are trafficking young people to middle east are connected with government agencies.
He says the streamlining of these companies is impossible because responsible officers are compromised while as some officials own these companies
What Religious leaders say.
Rev. Sister Semerita Mbambu of the holy cross sisters Fort-portal diocese acknowledges that the government has delayed putting in place mechanisms to ensure young boys and girls are in safer hands while in Middle East.
Parents have contributed much in ensuring children leave their families by facilitating their journeys outside Uganda. Parents are selling properties like land, cows, Goats and food crops to send children outside in search of green pastures, she says!
Religious leaders have embarked on sensitizing local leaders in Tooro kingdom about the dangers of human trafficking
What are the causes of human trafficking?
Kikora Masereka the executive director Bulhalo Foundation based in Karangura sub-county Kabarole district attribute the increasing cases of human trafficking on high levels poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and desire for quick wealth among the youths.
Way Forward.
Local leaders led by the LC3 Karangura sub-county Kahuzo Erikana have committed to spread the message of de-campaigning human trafficking by encouraging young girls and boys to remain and work from their home country to avoid inconveniences.
