Two Kenyan girls who had been taken to India after being lured with jobs only to be forced to operate as commercial sex workers have been rescued.
The two are currently at the Kenyan Embassy in New Delhi, India, where they sought refuge after escaping and plans are underway to have them return to the country.
“The Kenyan High Commissioner Ambassador Florence Weche, Kenya Geneva-based ambassador Dr Stephen Ndung’u Karau and I have taken the initiative to ensure safe custody of the girls at the Embassy and they will return to the Country,” Foreign Affairs Chief Administrative Secretary Ababu Namwamba told the Nation.
The two traveled to India in November 2017 with hopes of securing decent jobs high, but things turned into a nightmare.
“I’m petrified to learn that India is becoming a lucrative destination for our unsuspecting girls at the mercy of ruthless international criminals syndicates.”
“These vile criminals threaten to blemish the very cordial and beneficial ties between our two nations,” Namwamba told Nation.
Alice( not her real name), said she had been
promised a job only to be forced into prostitution after arriving in the Asian country.
“I was living in Mombasa when a local pastor introduced me to his wife. The woman told me she would help me secure a hotel job in India. She even agreed to help me process my travel documents and pay my transport, which she did,” narrated Alice.
Upon landing in India, she met her would-be employer who “did not explain to me quite well my job description. He took me to a local club and just dumped me there.”
“I was so terrified and went back home. When I found him, he beat me up and threatened to throw me off the balcony. It was hell on earth. I had to endure for some time as I made attempts to bring it to the attention of the Kenyan Embassy.”
After being introduced to prostitution, her employer would take the lion’s share of the cash she earned from the business.
“Food, which he promised to provide, was not forthcoming and I had to spend the little money I had to buy my own food. It was hell!” she said.
The other girl, (Faith*), says she was linked by a friend in Nairobi, who told her that a computer job was waiting for her in India.
“The friend who bumped into me in Korogocho helped me get a passport and a visa then catered for my air ticket, telling me all that was now left was for me to act.”
In India, she met her ‘employer’, a seemingly wealthy man, who took her to his house.
“He looked like a rich man and in his house were several computers. So he explained that I would be trained on how to use them later.
“He then took me to a local club and only asked me to take a seat and “smile” at men around and he left me there alone.
“It was so terrible. Sitting in a foreign club where I knew nobody and asked to smile was something very strange to me,” Faith said.
“I returned to his house only to find him with three other men. He asked me to give him the money I had made but I told him I did not have any.
“He threatened to kill me and said I would be forced to sell my ovaries,” narrates Faith.
“All my attempts to reach the person whom connected me to India have been futile.
“Only recently somebody directed me to the Kenyan Embassy where we are now taking refuge,” she stated.
Their rescue come in the backdrop of death of three Kenyan girls in India in the last one year. Two of them died last year, while the third one was killed in a hit-and-run vehicle last week. They had all been lured to the Asian country with jobs.
“We lost one of the rescued girls in a hit-and-run road accident last week. We must get her remains back home as soon as we trace her family,” said Namwamba.
“Those culpable must be arrested, tried and severely punished to render justice and deter similar crimes. We are also sounding alarm to all Kenyans that human trafficking is very real and our citizens are vulnerable.
“We caution every citizen to cross-check with us at Foreign Affairs and with our respective missions abroad before you accept to travel to some strange destination on the promise of some imaginary Canaan. Not everything that glitters is diamond,” Mr Namwamba said.
It is a good admonition;to…
It is a good admonition;to check with the Foreign Affairs.I also hope that after checking and things sneak through the cracks, the foreign affairs will be quick to help.
It also pays to observe that, the only way to get a good job in a third world country is through a credible hiring agency,or the government of that country.And such jobs would be for rare skills,or highly qualified professionals,that are hard to come by in the country.In other words scarcity of professionals.
You can also make money working with the underworld;dealing drugs,and prostitution.The risks here are obvious.
I personally would be suspicious of someone wanting to get me ajob in India. First of all with a population of close to 1 1/2 billion people,any job even that of washing dishes will be hotly contested by the locals. So what are the chances that aforeigner would land such a job?
This should be stopped right…
This should be stopped right on it’s tracks. Our young girls will not and should not be used as sex slaves anywhere in the world. Everyone who encourages anyone to leave the country look for a job without verification should be prosecuted. This hearsay should stop and the media, instead of covering mpigs all the time should he educating masses on the same. This must STOP. You see something say something,it starts with all of us.
Wow. God forbid. May God…
Wow. God forbid. May God help our fellow country folks. Millions of people are jobless in India so I wonder how they could hire outsiders. Furthermore most people have more than one degree so getting a job there is next to impossible. Let’s stay home-we have the best country in the world. It’s easy to start a small business with a few coins in Kenya than anywhere else. The world out there is very mean and unkind.