Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-02-07 04:06:56
Ms Felistus Nyambeki, 42, made a promise to her children and parents when she left her home in Nyamache Sub-county, Bobasi, Kisii County for Saudi Arabia on December 14, 2021. She vowed to give her children the best life and change her parents’ lives for the better. However, it’s been two years and two months since her departure, and her family has been left with the heartache of never speaking to Ms Nyambeki. The agents who transported her to Saudi Arabia are playing an endless game of cat and mouse with the family.
In an interview with the Nation, Ms Joyce Moraa (mother) and Mr Fredrick Morema (uncle) expressed their shock regarding Ms Nyambeki’s sudden silence. She had informed them of her safe arrival just a week before cutting off communication. Mr Morema, who uses a smartphone, was the first to suspect that something was wrong when Ms Nyambeki stopped responding to messages.
Three months later, the family decided to contact the travel agency that had arranged Ms Nyambeki’s trip to Saudi Arabia. However, the agency, identified as Golden Arena International and facilitated by Mr Caleb Mokaya, has been uncooperative. Documents show that Ms Nyambeki traveled to Saudi Arabia on a tourist visa that was due to expire in 90 days.
Ms Moraa tearfully proclaimed the injustice of the situation, questioning how her daughter could survive in Saudi Arabia with an expired visa and an uncooperative agency. The family visited Mr Mokaya’s office on November 28, 2022, and after causing a scene, he finally provided them with a phone number to communicate with Ms Nyambeki. It was then that she revealed the suffering she had been enduring in Saudi Arabia, including threats of physical harm.
The family is distraught and feeling regretful about allowing their loved ones to seek work abroad. Meanwhile, Ms Gladys Wanjiku Ng’ang’a, who also went silent shortly after arriving in Saudi Arabia, has been hospitalized there. She had made a promise to her son and parents before leaving the country and fell ill just a week after landing in Saudi Arabia.
Ms Ng’ang’a’s mother pleaded for help in bringing her daughter back to the country for treatment. She was first taken to Riyadh First Health Cluster – King Khalid Hospital – ALKHRJ, where they were unable to admit her for a long stay due to a lack of available beds. Currently, Ms Wanjiku is in the hospital undergoing treatment but is unable to speak, only able to hear.
The family is now seeking assistance from well-wishers and the public to help bring their loved ones back to the country and receive the care they need. The plight of these women highlights the challenges faced by Kenyan migrant workers in Saudi Arabia and the need for more support and protection for those working abroad.
Read the original article on Daily Nation
