ZAMBIAN CAREGIVER IN DISTRESS REPATRIATED FROM OMAN
Thabo Kawana writes…
We are deeply relieved to announce that the Zambian government has successfully repatriated the 24-year-old Zambian caregiver who recently made a heartbreaking appeal for help from Oman.
Together with our counterpart from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Mr. Dickson Matembo, we officially received her following her safe arrival back home
Her story is a painful reminder of the hidden dangers our young people face abroad, and we thank God that she is finally back in safe hands.
Our young sister travelled to Oman with the noble intention of supporting her family after the devastating loss of her father. Instead, she found herself trapped in a living nightmare.
Her employers confiscated her passport and residence documents, subjected her to relentless verbal abuse, withheld her hard-earned salary, and forced her into grueling labor from 05:00 to 23:00 hours without rest
Fearing for her life, she reached out to Diamond TV to share her miserable situation, a brave move that ultimately saved her life. Upon hearing her desperate plea, the government immediately swung into action through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to secure her urgent repatriation.
We want to highly applaud Diamond TV for championing this human story and bringing it to light. We urge other media houses to emulate this high level of investigative and public-interest journalism, which has directly resulted in saving a citizen’s life.
Moving forward, we have urged our sister to consider being an ambassador against human trafficking by sharing her ordeal to protect others from falling into similar traps.
We strongly advise our young people to be extremely cautious with promised foreign jobs. The reality on the ground is often completely different from the glossy advertisements.
Your government remains committed to protecting its citizens, but we must all work together to prevent these dangerous situations.
Thabo Kawana
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Informatiom and Media