More stories of suffering of people in the kyeyo slave trade

Janat Mukwaya Minster for Gender

The other day, a friend told me an unnerving story about his relative, who had been forced to return from Oman because, accordingly, she had suffered a mental break-down. The woman in question had been employed as a house girl in the Arab territory for more than a year. But a short while ago, they received the bad news that the woman was being returned home because of the illness.

Fortunately, the Arabs let her go by returning her passport to her and she was able to travel. On arrival here, the woman has shown increasing signs of madness. Sometimes, she undresses completely; other time, she locks herself in her room for more than 12 hours. Often times she throws tantrums, at the most unexpected times. The family is at odds of what to do.

Because she was a Born Again, they have tried to get pastors to pray for her, without much success. Now they are thinking of Butabika. And this was a sane woman when she left for the kyeyo job.

In moments of mental clarity, she relates very terrible experiences about her employers. And yet you hear our Government saying that they are thinking of exporting more people; these are mere modern slaves. They should think of a different employment policy to replace this slave trade.

Juventine Balaggade

Zana

Comments

comments