PRESIDENT JULIUS MAADA AND MRS FATIMA BIO’S VISIT TO LEBANON PRODUCE UNEXPECTED RESULT: 130 SIERRA LEONEANS (GIRLS/WOMEN) TRAPPED UNDER SLAVE/TRAFFICKING CONDITIONS ARE TO RETURN HOME.
The mysterious and cloudy visit to Lebanon three weeks ago generated a great deal of speculations. This was supposedly a ‘private’ visit but with all the acrimonious debate from the sublime to the ridiculous, it became a more public visit than it was supposed to be. It is good to see the President looking ‘well’ despite reports of his being in a hospital for something of sort, and that the couple had taken time off to enjoy their honeymoon.
But the ‘side effect’ of their cloudy visit to Lebanon is of more interest in this blog: the unexpected negotiations that resulted in the returning of approximately 130 Sierra Leonean girls/women whose experience of misery and pain would be left behind in Lebanon when they do return.
The ‘House meeting’ clip shown is social media was a bit telling. The courage of the ‘committee’ members who grabbed the opportunity to solicit the assistance of the Presidential couple deserves recommendations and applause. Listening to the brief narratives by those involved in the rescue of these women was rather painful to say the least, and to see the reactions of these victims - a mixture of joy and unexpectedness - showed the magnitude of troubles they have encountered.
However, this situation is not novel: Sierra Leone girls/women have for decades been waylaid into believing that the ‘grass is greener’ anywhere else than in their own country. Many are not told the truth even as to where they will end up, or the type of employment they will be engaged in. Many more suffer greatly in the hands of their employers and some are even ‘resold’ like in the slave trade of old, to other employers. When it becomes too much, some manage to run away otherwise lose their lives. As many a time they will not be having their passports or other travel documents with them, (these being held in the custody of their employers) they become stranded and many end up in prostitution to survive, exposing themselves to all sorts of illness and dangers.
Below are three reports I have kept since 1990, (yes, you heard me right, 1990) by The Independent News paper. These are sad reports. The middle one, the big story, shows the kinds of agreements these girls/women are contracted into. The sample contract below shows that the ‘blanks’ have been filled by one person except for the ‘thumbprint’ of the illiterate uncle (whose photograph is shown below) and what represented the girl’s signature (block capitals) is not much to go by.
We are now in 2020, and these reports are from 1990. For such a problem is reported in a UK Newspaper, it would have taken an awful long time for the complaints to be made, reported, discussed before it would appear in such a broad sheet newspaper like The Independent!
There are other such ‘slave’ type victims other than in Lebanon: Maada! What is the future now??? What further actions and policies will this government adopt to repatriate such victims back home? This should not be a ‘one off’ action which came about as a matter of chance - an ex-gracia by-product of a private visit to Lebanon that ended up not being so private! It was indeed heartening to behold the President extending some financial assistance which the committee helping these women (and others yet to be located), and the assurances given to them by Mrs Bio appeared to uplift their expectations.
This gesture, even though came by chance, should be the start of a policy to rescue our people from these dreadful situations- both females and male victims (because there are men also caught up in not dissimilar circumstances).
This racket has been going on for far too long, and perhaps this fortunate encounter/visit and engagement with the Consulate and private community members who are volunteering their assistance will garner the interests and concerns of NGOs, Human Rights activists, Social Welfare / Gender and Children Affairs and the appropriate legal agencies to bring these slavery to the end. BUT MAADA, WHAT IS THE FUTURE NOW???
THIS IS JUST A TIP ON THE ICE BERG!
