MONROVIA – When Grace (full name withheld), a 25-year-old mother of two was contacted by one Amadu Kiazolu for work in Oman where she would earn up to US$2,000 monthly, she felt that was the call that would have ended her years of bitter struggles. Little did she know that she was signing up for real slavery. Her quest for greener pastures became a walk through the valleys of the shadows of death.
But Grace is just one of over 60 Liberian women in Oman experiencing similar fate, FrontPageAfrica has gathered. Stranded without any means of communicating and with their passports seized, these young Liberian women can only hope for a divine intervention.
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. Formerly a maritime empire, Oman is the oldest continuously independent state in the Arab world.
Oman is a high income country that generates 84 percent of its revenue from dwindling oil resources. Hard hit by the global drop in oil prices, the country is trying to diversity its economy through tourism and gas-based industries.
FrontPageAfrica (FPA) gathered that the women were recruited by agents in Liberia. A couple of them were identified to FPA as Amadou Kiazolu, Cephus Sidibay, Asiah Capehart. FPA has not been able to contact these alleged agents for comments.
However, FPA gathered that one of the agents, Aamdou Kiazolu was apprehended by the Liberia National Police, but later released to his lawyers.
The Story of Grace
The 25-year-old mother who had gone to find a way to make life better for she and her children is now suffering constant abuse and violence at the hands of her employers.
She serves as a maid in an Arab home.
Grace at one instance was allegedly severely beaten by employer’s son when they thought that she spanked his little sister. She was reportedly eaten with wire, kicked in the stomach and locked up for a day without food and compelled to work the following day without any medical attention and with fresh wounds.
She further explained that she was often given the leftover food after the day’s work.
She was taken to the hospital three days after the incident after she refused to work. That was also when her mobile phone was returned to her, she explained.
“I told my agent, Amadou Kiazolou in Liberia that my life is in threat, I don’t want to stay here but he said he will change my work place,” she said.
According to her, she was informed by Amadou that she was only there to learn the household work, but that was not the real job for which he was brought to the country.
Without being paid, Grace was transferred to another household to do the same work.
Several other young women whose names FPA has withheld to avoid stigma have had similar experiences.
They said at the various households were they are sent to work, they are often harassed and sexually abused repeatedly. They said they were subjected to various forms of torture at the homes they work.
Their Contracts
These women were recruited by an agency called Silver Advancement which has agents in poor countries like Liberia. Upon arrival in Oman, they are compelled to sign a two-year contract after all their travel documents are taken from them. FPA has seen the contract of one of the women which stipulates her salary as US$207.80.
However, FrontPageAfrica gathered that the agency that does the recruitment receives up to US$1,000 a month for each of the women.
But the women not fearing that their situation will worsen as they have signed a two-year contract are now calling on the Liberian authorities, especially the Ministry of Gender to swiftly intervene and help them return to Liberia.
