If you've read the papers recently, then you know that Kuwait is cracking down big time on the human trafficking situation here. I just glanced at the headlines and it said that hundreds of companies and the ppl behind them have been discovered - bringing labourers into Kuwait under false premises.
This is fantastic news. But I must admit, the numbers scare me a bit. Geographically, and population wise, we're such a small country. I didn't think we had the space or manpower for so many 'slave trading' companies. The paper gave an estimate of more than 300 found. That makes it possible for thousands of lives to be ruined every year -- both workers and their families.
So I thank God for the efforts of all those in authority who are taking care of this problem. Because as we begin development and progress, we need to bear in mind that a country's image to the world is not just defined by its high rise buildings, and colourful skyline. Especially if the skyline is built on the backs of slaves.
Being modern and progressive means that our thinking also changes. Otherwise we would be nothing more than mindless, stone-age barbarians, who have discovered that fancy clothing and nice cars make us look more civilised than we are.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Numbers
I've talked with people who work with abused domestic helpers in their embassies and I was able to get a rough estimate on the numbers we are dealing with:
400 maids at the Ethiopian embassy (embassy already full and now turning away runaways)
400 maids at the Indonesian Embassy
100 - 300 maids at the Philippines Embassy (it fluctuates pretty often)
300 at the Sri Lankan embassy.
I also know that Indian embassy officials dragged out a crying and pleading Indian woman from the embassy in plain sight of everyone, who was claiming abuse, and telling her that was not the place for her to go.
These numbers are obviously not accurate down to the last person - they are rough estimates. And I can tell you that these ladies are not all happy and healthy. Having personally been to the Philippines embassy myself, I was devastated to see women lined up from corner to corner in a basement room, taking up every available space.
A human being is not a number. Every single person deserves to be treated as a special, unique individual. But even when dealing with numbers, please remember that these are only runaways that make it to the embassy. There are more like these in the hospitals, in their employer's homes, in the jails and deportation centre, hiding out illegally somewhere in Kuwait, forced into prostitution and of course - in the morgue.
400 maids at the Ethiopian embassy (embassy already full and now turning away runaways)
400 maids at the Indonesian Embassy
100 - 300 maids at the Philippines Embassy (it fluctuates pretty often)
300 at the Sri Lankan embassy.
I also know that Indian embassy officials dragged out a crying and pleading Indian woman from the embassy in plain sight of everyone, who was claiming abuse, and telling her that was not the place for her to go.
These numbers are obviously not accurate down to the last person - they are rough estimates. And I can tell you that these ladies are not all happy and healthy. Having personally been to the Philippines embassy myself, I was devastated to see women lined up from corner to corner in a basement room, taking up every available space.
A human being is not a number. Every single person deserves to be treated as a special, unique individual. But even when dealing with numbers, please remember that these are only runaways that make it to the embassy. There are more like these in the hospitals, in their employer's homes, in the jails and deportation centre, hiding out illegally somewhere in Kuwait, forced into prostitution and of course - in the morgue.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
What's wrong with this picture?
An Indonesian lady leaves home to come to Kuwait to become a domestic helper so that she can also add to the earnings of her husband and support her child. Here, she is drugged by her employer, and raped. When the girl later escapes through a window, sustaining terrible injuries, she is able (unlike many others) to file a case against him and get him arrested.
The Indonesian girl is sent to hospital to recover, where she tells visitors about the rape in gory detail, almost in a playful manner - and how badly it hurt. She refers to herself in the third person, as if the whole thing happened to someone else, and seems to laugh a lot more than all the other domestic helpers in her ward. She explains that she is no longer Muslim because she has 'slept' with another man, and how can she go back to her family like that?
JUST when she begins to slowly regain her sanity, her employer (who has already been released) comes to the hospital and threatens her. The helper is discharged, still not fully healed, and taken to jail.
Why is a victim of rape made to go through the horrors of her old employer having the freedom to taunt her, as well as having nowhere to go but jail? Right now this poor lady is lost in the system. We simply cannot find her.
Hundreds and hundreds of women go through this. They are legally only able to be in the home of their sponsors, in the hospital, at the agency or in jail. To put it in real terms, guess what rape victim - if you're a domestic helper wanting to go home - you'll have to go to prison first.
The Indonesian girl is sent to hospital to recover, where she tells visitors about the rape in gory detail, almost in a playful manner - and how badly it hurt. She refers to herself in the third person, as if the whole thing happened to someone else, and seems to laugh a lot more than all the other domestic helpers in her ward. She explains that she is no longer Muslim because she has 'slept' with another man, and how can she go back to her family like that?
JUST when she begins to slowly regain her sanity, her employer (who has already been released) comes to the hospital and threatens her. The helper is discharged, still not fully healed, and taken to jail.
Why is a victim of rape made to go through the horrors of her old employer having the freedom to taunt her, as well as having nowhere to go but jail? Right now this poor lady is lost in the system. We simply cannot find her.
Hundreds and hundreds of women go through this. They are legally only able to be in the home of their sponsors, in the hospital, at the agency or in jail. To put it in real terms, guess what rape victim - if you're a domestic helper wanting to go home - you'll have to go to prison first.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
What if...
What if my family hadn't come to Kuwait when they did?
What if we hadn't made as much money as we have today?
What if we were still in India and still poor?
----------------------------------------------
What if my wife's family hadn't moved from the Philippines to Canada?
What if they hadn't become Canadian citizens and had the option of being middle class?
What if they were still in the Philippines and still poor?
---------------------------------------------
Would then my own mother, sister and the woman who I would have married - have come here as nannies and housekeepers?
What if it all happened to them?
---------------------------------------------
What if Kuwait had never been liberated, and citizens had no home to go to?
What if they had to make a living in a foreign country among a foreign people?
What if we hadn't made as much money as we have today?
What if we were still in India and still poor?
----------------------------------------------
What if my wife's family hadn't moved from the Philippines to Canada?
What if they hadn't become Canadian citizens and had the option of being middle class?
What if they were still in the Philippines and still poor?
---------------------------------------------
Would then my own mother, sister and the woman who I would have married - have come here as nannies and housekeepers?
What if it all happened to them?
---------------------------------------------
What if Kuwait had never been liberated, and citizens had no home to go to?
What if they had to make a living in a foreign country among a foreign people?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
New writer on Q8SWS
Hi there blogfans, my name is nabeel. Sws has kindly invited me to share my thoughts on this blog as a new writer -- and rather than just intrude right away, I thought I'd start off by ways of a little introduction.
I'm a third generation Indian citizen in Kuwait, born and raised. I have no gift whatever for languages so I dont speak more than a few words of Arabic - or any Indian language for that matter. I went to an English school in Kuwait and did my University in Vancouver, Canada. I'm married to a great gal from there and now I'm back in Kuwait, working. ..And recently I've started involving myself in a little social work and have been utterly amazed by what I've seen.
About that - hopefully over time, I'll be updating you with reports of human rights abuses here, and my perspective on it as an expat. As I'm sure you're already aware, the Gulf region has come under a lot of scrutiny for this sort of thing. Please feel free to ask any questions, air your opinions - and mostly... please get involved.
I will start off with a report from a Nepali Humanitarian Organisation "Asha - Nepal" which is headed by a British gentleman:
"I wish we could stop these girls going. They are aware of the situation, but are pursuaded by the agencies that they will be looked after and of course the money is a huge draw.
We had a case three years ago, with Kuwait Airways carrying a seriously demented girl on a plane to Delhi in her night dress. (In Kuwait) she had been taught to offer herself to any man that came near her. The girl in question committed suicide just under a year ago. We want to write to the airline and the Kuwaiti Embassy in the UK although they aren't likely to reply. They didnt last time."
You might think this is an isolated incident, but in one of our hospitals right now is an Indonesian girl who was 'lent' by the agency to a man who forcibly slept with her and then 'sold' her to another man who forced her to sleep with 3-5 men a day. Then - like many stories you might here - she jumped.
Guess where she will go after her discharge from the hospital?! Jail. After that its the deportation center and if she's lucky enough, she will be booked a ticket home in a month or so, with only the clothes on her back and not even a month's worth of salary. But then what sort of salary do you get from forced prostitution !?
And then the real shame begins as she tries to live in her community, a rape victim and penniless.
One case in hundreds. What are your thoughts?
I'm a third generation Indian citizen in Kuwait, born and raised. I have no gift whatever for languages so I dont speak more than a few words of Arabic - or any Indian language for that matter. I went to an English school in Kuwait and did my University in Vancouver, Canada. I'm married to a great gal from there and now I'm back in Kuwait, working. ..And recently I've started involving myself in a little social work and have been utterly amazed by what I've seen.
About that - hopefully over time, I'll be updating you with reports of human rights abuses here, and my perspective on it as an expat. As I'm sure you're already aware, the Gulf region has come under a lot of scrutiny for this sort of thing. Please feel free to ask any questions, air your opinions - and mostly... please get involved.
I will start off with a report from a Nepali Humanitarian Organisation "Asha - Nepal" which is headed by a British gentleman:
"I wish we could stop these girls going. They are aware of the situation, but are pursuaded by the agencies that they will be looked after and of course the money is a huge draw.
We had a case three years ago, with Kuwait Airways carrying a seriously demented girl on a plane to Delhi in her night dress. (In Kuwait) she had been taught to offer herself to any man that came near her. The girl in question committed suicide just under a year ago. We want to write to the airline and the Kuwaiti Embassy in the UK although they aren't likely to reply. They didnt last time."
You might think this is an isolated incident, but in one of our hospitals right now is an Indonesian girl who was 'lent' by the agency to a man who forcibly slept with her and then 'sold' her to another man who forced her to sleep with 3-5 men a day. Then - like many stories you might here - she jumped.
Guess where she will go after her discharge from the hospital?! Jail. After that its the deportation center and if she's lucky enough, she will be booked a ticket home in a month or so, with only the clothes on her back and not even a month's worth of salary. But then what sort of salary do you get from forced prostitution !?
And then the real shame begins as she tries to live in her community, a rape victim and penniless.
One case in hundreds. What are your thoughts?
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
BLAST OFF
You're sinking slowly very very slowly and you do your best to paddle your way to the top only to find yourself sinking again, you look around and see all the beautiful familiar faces you know but refuse to ask for help cuz you don't want to take them down with you, so you keep paddling discreetly hoping nobody sees your struggle.
Uplifting ... I love my baby girl
Uplifting ... I love my baby girl
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