Full transcript of “I wish I never left Kenya for Saudi Arabia. I regret || Shared Moments with Justus”. Click a timestamp to open the video at that moment. Need another video? Use the YouTube transcript generator.
0:00 That particular incident was the wake up call for me, and that's when I decided enough was enough. i want to go home like now, I have to go. l got to the airport with nothing. No bag, no phone, no luggage, just the clothes I was wearing. He even denied me a sweater. Said I will get one in Kenya! my name is helen deger i'm 29 years old i'm a mother of one the reason why i'm here today
0:54 is to share my story from my experience while i was in saudi arabia Like many Kenyan's who go Saudi Arabia to seek for greater pastures, when I got the news i was very happy i was so excited because I k new this was my opportunity where my life would change for the better. i went there and I found that things were totally different from what i expected . It even got to a point where going home was my only dream. My life had been threatened. I even
1:52 lost hope. I didn't know who to talk to,I didn't know where to go , I was like i'm a prisoner but for me to be here today to share my story it's a miracle and by God's hands it took God himself for me to be here. While in Kenya I had worked as a house help for almost 10 years. by then I was just me, without a child so I could manage. In between I got a baby. That was in 2016.
2:44 So it waS not easy to work as a house help while pregnant or with a small child. So I had to go to the village for sometime Life in the village was not easy especially with a small baby, so five months post delivery I came back to the city to try and get a job. I managed to get a hotel job where I worked for almost three years. I was earning like $25 per day and I had managed to plan my life, I was planning to enrol the child to kindergarten the following year.Though it was almost impossible to save for school fees after settling all the bills.
3:40 So the opportunity its to go to Saudi Arabia came through my then boss. She had worked there before for 4 years, then came back and set up the hotel. So her former boss called and requested her to go back to work for them, but since she `had her business to run, she gave me the opportunity.
4:28 So when she asked me if I could work in Saudi Arabia, I celebrated because. I was in dire need of finances. I had heard about people suffering in Saudi Arabia and all other horrible experiences I had heard about.But at that point all,
5:14 I could see was the possibility. of changing. my life. Plus my boss had been there and her case was different. The passport was processed in three weeks and I was happy with the speedy process. Then I also got my certificate of good conduct and I was ready for departure. So the lady connected me with her former agent, the agent was from Mombasa. So I had to go to Mombasa for a one mo nth training on general house keeping roles like cleaning, ironing , cooking Arabic meals and general house chores which I already knew. Being a first born girl, all the house.chores were my responsibility.
6:03 My mother was always sickly and my dad had passed away. So automatically I had to take up the house chore roles at home So I wished they had trained us on something we didn't. know like Arabic. After training I was told to wait for a week for them to process the visa. Within two weeks I was told that the ticket was ready. I was not thin king of any possible danger. I was just seeing the opportunity before me.
7:03 I remember how hard life was when we were growing up, staying hungry was the order of the day. We even stopped going to school when my father got sick and my mother was not working. We were still very young because I waS in class three and my brother was in class four. So after being sent home for school fees every now and then, my mother told us to just stay at home. so we would join my mother when she was going for manual labour like tilling the land, where most of the time she requested to be given maize meal instead of cash.That would last us for at least three days.
8:02 So when I remembered the kind of life I lived as a child, and now there was the risk of raising my child in the same circumstances, I was ready to risk everything to have abetter life.I was ready to suffer but give my child a better life. I remember by this time um both of my parents had died already,so I was the sole decision maker concerning my life For me my dad's death did effect me being that i was very close to my dad. It made me withdraw and be a loner.
8:53 I became extremely quiet to a point my mother brought people to pray for me. because i would wake up very early in the morning and then go near my father's grave and sit there the whole day, in the evening I'd also isolate myself and sit alone, quiet without interacting with the others and i have never recovered.
9:41 Then my mum got sick in 2006 and she was admitted. I had to stay with her in the hospital. We stayed in the hospital for one full month. I was the firstborn daughter, the responsibility naturally fell on me. staying for a whole month in the hospital with a patient was not easy.
10:26 The experiences were traumatizing especially seeing patients, some who were sharing bed with my mum dying. It got to a point my mum's memory started relapsing. she'd even forget who we are. but after sometime I got used to the environment. There was a male doctor called Doctor Njoroge who befriended me. So on this particular day , I was going to the shops to get milk for my mom who could not eat solid food. I met him at the gate while he was was entering the hospital. He called me.
11:28 We were already familiar with each other because i had accompanied my mother in the hospital for a long time. So after i told him that i was in a hurry, he said that he'd be brief. when i refused his advances, it created a big problem with him. The very same night my mother's condition got worse and i had to go and call the same doctor; Mr.Njoroge. By this time i was in panic mode and crying but he didn't seem bothered. He just sayed that he was coming.
12:27 I went back to his office three times begging him because my mum was even struggling to breath. This time he told me the unthinkable. First he showed me the files of all those who had died then told me that my mother would not be the first patient to die.
13:20 I was in disbelief that i could not even react. So that night, by the grace of God my mom managed to stay through the night. and unfortunately after one week we lost her that also affected me Alot because i felt that i was left all alone, with no one to even talk to. I was really affected.
14:08 So when this opportunity came, i couldn't even think teice about accepting it because i still had alot in my mind. And i wanted by all means to evade poverty. Then other than that i had a baby that i needed to give a. better life. That is why i immediately jumped into the opportunity. So the day of the travelling came . I had been told that it will be a two year contract, though i had not signed any contracts.
14:56 Whe i was travelling i left so early ,because i did not want my baby to see me. I did not want to have that parting moment and questioning where i was going knowing that we would not see each other for two years, it was too painful for me . I left him in the care of my aunt. Our first stop was at sharja, then we got to Saudi Arabia;Riath. The first thing that hit me was the culture shock. The first one was the weather. It was too hot that i felt like i was breathing hot air. It was extreemely hot.
15:52 Then Language barrier also because everyone was speaking in Arabic. I was supposed to go direct to the office as it was the norm but i did not go to the office . But i never went, my to be boss came to pick me at the airport with his wife and he drove straight to his house where i met the parger family. The main challenge was language. When i got to the house the first thing they did was to take my passport. actually they checked my bag even before i took it to the bedroom.
16:45 When i started working we did not even talk about my salary because the agent had told me that i was going to earn 900 real which is equivalent to about 250 USD. So come end month i was gicen the full amount as agreed.My bosses asked me if i wanted to be saving or sending the cash home. I opted to save half of the money and send the other half home.
17:36 We had been trained on how to save our cash while in training. One of the ways was through a bank account which my boss was to help me get an account Another wasy of saving which was risky was sending all of it back home. we were discouraged against saving cash in the house becase one day they might accuse you of stealing their cash.So the best option for me was to give them the cash to save for me. They agreed and i trusted them. Then i was very fresh and naive in dealing with financial matters.
18:35 For me most of the time i would sleep at 4 am and wake up at 9:00 am . This happened only when kids were not going to school. the other days i had to wake up at 7:00 am to prepare them.So i would sleep for a maximum of 4 hours. I'd wake up at 9:00 am , make breakfast and then proceed to other chores, by this time its nearing 1:00 PM
19:35 Cleaning the house was not just ordinary cleaning. it had long process of vaccuing , then dusting , then scrubbing with a soft brush.Then the walls. Anyone who's worked there would tell you about clorex, which is equivalent to jick. then they demand you mix it with white vinegar. The two mixed forms an acid which would wound our hands.Even the smell of the two was causing nasal blockage
20:32 The Lunchtime would find me still cleaning where i had to break and prepare lunch then proceed with cleaning. I rarely rested.I was working day and night. From house chores to bathing the kids, then the woman of the house. I don't know how others behave but my boss lady was behaving like a queen.
21:19 I had to fill bathtub for her, then call her when it was ready. The after she has bathed for sometime she would call me again to scrub her back. Then i would go and arrange her change of clothes and massage. her back and feet. Then after i'd go and proceed with my cleaning chores. I rearely rested because i'd clean the house at night and take care of them during the day. That's why i would often sleep at 4:am.
22:19 No matter how much work i was doing, never had they even told me to rest for even five minutes. For them, the fact that they're paying you they feel like they own you to serve them.You become their property. They use you as they wish and torture you with work. Every penny they pay you you have to sweat for it.You have to be busy all the time. Though the houses would differ in treatment. In some houses the women of the house would cook, but that was not the case where i was working.
23:22 Then during Ramadhan period i would cook the wole night. I had more challenges during that time.I would sleep at 8:00 am and wake up at 11:00 am. I would cook the entire night, so by the time they're eating their last meal at 4:00 am, i would start washing the dishes till morning.
24:20 When i left Kenya for Saudi Arabia, i knew i was going to work and i didn't;t expect it to be a walk in the park, but i was ready to do my best especially because of my child.So i was ready to work. I was ready to persevere because i knew it was not a permanent situation. But it got to a point that i felt like i had had enough and i was ready to call it quit after nine months.
25:13 There was an incident where their first born broke his mother's valueable product and i was being blamed for it. To them any mistake would be blamed on me and it was no big deal to them. So she insisted that i was responsible for it yet it was always in her room that i was not even allowed to enter. So the woman said that she would purnish me. their purnishment was extra chores. CScrubing the walls.
26:03 So the following day i ran off, very early in the morning.Let me take you back to the time we were travelling to Saudi Arabia from Kenya. All the girls going to work as house helps were given Tshirts with a number at the back, plus the office's contact details including physical address.That is the what saved me. I hid that T-shirt because i couldn't carry a bag, and i did not have my passport because they had it. That is what i sued to trace the agent's office. I sneak while taking trash out
26:56 and that is how most girls escape. I had to increase my pace but i could not run because someone might have noticed that i had escaped and raise an alarm on me. Luckily God sent a guy of egyption origin who saw me and thought i looked troubled and asked if i wanted a taxi. I quickly jumped in, then i showed him the Tshirt and he helped me call the office and dropped me there.
27:46 Another problem, when girls escape from the houses they were located, the office has to call their bosses when they go back. I had requested them to transfer me to another house because i feared for my life if i went back there. Girls are normally given double purnishment or treated more harshly if they're returned to their former masters, where they escaped.That is how most of the girls end up dead. But they refused to change houses for me. they said that the boss had paid alot of money. I had also exceeded the allowed period of complain. One was expected to experess their displeasure in teh first three months.
28:32 I had not choice but to go back to my former boss. but i would prey for a miracle all the times.That night i was allowed to go straight to bed. Nightmare started the following day. This time i would even starve and work double chores. The lady of the house was really angry at me. i was mistreated. The husband seemed understanding but i later on learnt that they're all together.
29:18 I would be allowed to call home once a week. So my Aunt told me lie that my baby had died so that i can get permision but oI refused. T She encouraged me to be prayerful and persevere to the end I didn't have a choice because they still had my money
30:08 I'm thankful the little money I used to send home was well utilised I used to send money monthly. They made sure my son was in school When I left Kenya I knew my contract was for 2 years. I was now getting closer to the end
31:11 With just 7 months to the end of my contract I requested to go for the Covid vaccine My lady boss could hear none of that! She claimed I still had a long way to go
32:05 She claimed that my contract was 4 years but she reduced it to 3 considering I left a small baby back home I tried to trick her to let me go see my baby then come back later She said if I have to go I only take half of your salary to assure them I'll be back. I said no.and then they shop at they don't talk after that actually summer period any that's it non-goja
33:07 That's when I started looking for my Agent. I couldn't being denied a chance to go back home She told me that she's the one who decides if and when her girls leave. And when she speaks I should shut up!
33:58 After a lot of struggle they finally allowed me to go for vaccination. By this time I had finished my contract and approaching Ramadhan She said I wait until Ramadhan ends then she'll release me you add another three months after ramadan you will go we will release you of course
34:49 I had no options than to wait Just before Ramadhan the man of the house changed completely On this particular day he took his wife and kids and shortly came back to the house alone
35:54 I didn't suspect anything. In any case, I didn't consider myself attractive to a man given my dress code He came straight to the kitchen where I was and started moving towards me and held my hand
36:53 Suddenly this man turned into a beast. He acted like someone I never knew I tried to wrestle my way out begging him to let go of me but he could hear non of that He really harassed me. It's a phone call from his wife that saved me
37:53 Those were the longest 30 minutes of my life. He even tried to insert his fíngers in my prívate párts When the phone rung he stoped and later went to the bathroom It was like a nightmare to me. I cried for 30 minutes
38:58 This incident reminded me of the day my cousin gave me out to his friend to sexually mólest me when I was a chíld This man gave my cousin money and I was asked to see him off
39:50 Just before we got to the road, this man held my hand Then he suddenly diverted into the sugarcane plantation and started undressing
40:54 He undressed me and defíled me. I couldn't fight back. I was only 11 years
41:40 When he was done he dressed me up and took me back. I couldn't walk properly When I got home my cousin did not show any concern and I was too scared to say anything
42:58 That day I slept in a lot of pain but even his wife did not ask me anything So this incident in Saudi Arabia brought back all the memories of my childhood defílement
43:44 The thought of being defíled as a minor and then when I'm someones mother was too much to bare up until now I had never shared with anybody my those traumatic childhood experiences. Not even with my brother
44:36 Those are the emotions that I think have been holding me back in life The thought of it happening again made me fight back with everything I had. I was ready to let go of the money they owed me I was ready to leave for Kenya. I could not take it!
45:41 That's when I started looking for help and reached out to you Justus When I emailed you, you replied so fast I couldn't believe it Then I asked for your number coz I needed to call you and to my surprise again you sent it
46:30 This was just God's doing coz I had tried many other avenues without success When you called me I felt so good. I was desperate for a solution At that time I just wanted to come back home. Nothing else
47:40 I almost ran away because my life was now at risk There are so many cases where the girls have been accused of non existent stuff and ended up loosing their lives After you called the Kenyan agent is when she mounted pressure to the Saudi agency
48:48 Eventually the pressure was too much from all corners to my bosses. And that's why I'm here today. Finally they booked a flight for me and told me to prepare and leave They came to my room, ransacked my bag and formatted my phone
50:12 They took all my clothes They asked me to sign that they had given me back all my savings, yet the figure indicated was half what they owed me I signed under duress coz they were threatening me
51:09 They took the phone I couldn't call anyone and said they'd send the money once I get to Kenya I didn't care much about the money. I just wanted to be home I got to the airport without anything. No luggage no sweater
51:54 They made sure I'm inside the airport, thinking I could sneak back But I was so ready to come back home I didn't even have money for taxi from the airport. He was paid by those I found in the house I had no single bag
52:44 After 2 days my Arab boss sent half of my savings and took half My joy was to be back home alive and reunite with my son. Didn't care about the money It was a dream come true
53:35 I left school in class six due to financial challenges I really loved school i really do love school. I wanted to learn how to speak English but I was out of school My mom encouraged me a lot that I'd learn whether in school or not
54:26 I really hope and pray that God will open ways for me to go back to school because that's my greatest dream Right now the little money I have I make sure my son is in school. But I'd also love to be in school yet I have no source of income
55:16 I hope God will open ways for me I want to thank God from the bottom of my heart like i thank god for walking with me I"m grateful to those who took care of my son when I was away Justus I really thank you. This platform is a blessed platform. May God bless you
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