Ernestina, Saudi Arabia

24-year-old Ernestina recounts her escape from a two-and-half-year ordeal of torture and abuse in Saudi Arabia. 

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Real life with Missi  00:04

We are back with another amazing episode on the Real Life with Missi podcast. We have one strong, amazing woman who has conquered all odds. She is a survivor and today she will be sharing her migration experience with us. Ernestina, not her real name, the reason is we need to protect our victim's image. She's a returnee from Saudi Arabia, and she is 24 years of age. Hello, Ernestina, thank you for joining me today on the real life with Missi podcast. 

Ernestina 00:43

Thank you for having me. I'm also happy to be able to share my story. 

Real life with Missi  00:47

Oh, that's great. Um, can you please tell us a bit about your life, your childhood growing up in Ghana? 

Ernestina  00:52

Okay. My name is Ernestina and I'm from Kumasi. For my family side, too, We are four siblings. 

Real life with Missi  01:01

How many boys and how many girls?

Ernestina  01:03

Three boys and thats only me. 

Real life with Missi  01:05

Oh, so yeah, then you are their big mama.

Ernestina  01:06

Yes. Oh, wow, they call me mummy Ernestina even though am their elder sister 

Real life with Missi  01:11

 Wow. Wow. What was life growing up there in Kumasi? 

Ernestina  01:16

I wouldn't say it was even an average. Our family was like [lived] hand to mouth. That's what we do.

Real life with Missi  01:22

 You mean you guys were living from hand to mouth. Oh, well, uh huh. Yes. Um, did you go to school? 

Ernestina  01:30

Yes, I did. I did. But I wasn't able to complete because of our financial  status  

Real life with Missi  01:36

Wow. Wow. Wow. Okay. If I may know, I want you to tell me a bit about this. You traveled right?

Ernestina  01:44

 Yes. 

Real life with Missi  01:44

So what was the experience? How did it all happen? Like, did you just wake up and travel or you kind of met someone? 

Ernestina  01:52

Okay, so as I said, we work on hand to mouth. That's a really

Real life with Missi 01:56

 Like, You mean, you guys were living from hand to mouth? 

Ernestina  01:57

I one day went to work for one Lady on my way back. I met this woman, she said she likes I'm the hardworking type. And she really likes me and she asked me what do I want to become in life? Okay, so right now I can’t go back to school because I have younger siblings to take care of, but I want to be a caterer. And she was like Okay, she will help me. I was really excited because my family side no one has stood up to be like, Okay, I'll help you. You're  my neice . You are my no, no, no, no. So I was very happy that she said that

Real life with Missi  02:26

She wanted to help you. You're hard working. 

Ernestina 02:28

Yes. 

Real life with Missi  02:29

So What’s the name of this lady?

Ernestina 02:31

 She's called Hajia. Yes. 

Real life with Missi  02:32

Yeah. So please continue. 

Ernestina 02:34

So that's how it was like okay, I asked her the type of job and she said to us it's like a nanny. 

Real life with Missi  02:39

You have to be a nanny, is it in Ghana here?

02:41

Oh, no, no outside.

Real life with Missi  02:43

Okay. Okay. 

Ernestina 02:44

And then asked, so I don't have money for passport or anything. She was like okay, no, she will help me. So I started gathering up money and then she did that visa. She did everything for me to go 

Real life with Missi  02:55

How long did the process take after talking to her? How long did the process take? 

Ernestina 02:58

I think like three weeks. 

Real life with Missi  02:59

It's just three weeks. And then she came back with your visa and everything? She said it's ready. You have to travel 

 Ernestina 03:04

Yes

03:04

Wow, what about what she told you? You're going to be a nanny? Yes. This thing is really confused. And she just came and told you that she has this job opportunity for you. 

Ernestina 03:13

Yes.

Real life with Missi  03:13

And you have to go and be a nanny someone's country. 

Ernestina 03:16

Yes.

Real life with Missi  03:16

But didn't you think about it because the language barrier?

Ernestina 03:19

 Yes. I also thought about it and she was like I shouldn't mind about that that not a problem,they they understand they understand people so I shouldn't worry

Real life with Missi  03:27

Oh, she mean the family that you're going to work for outside were very good. 

Ernestina 03:30

Yes

Real life with Missi  03:31

So you wouldn't have any problem. 

Ernestina 03:32

Yes, that's what she said. And while I was okay because, checking in from my family side and if I could go and they said they will pay me $250 or something. I was I was very happy because checking from the rate and then coming up it's was a very good or it is a very big opportunity for --

Real life with Missi 03:46

For you. So you just saw a greater vision like you want to go work hard and then come back home and then change. 

Ernestina  03:53

Yes

Real life with Missi  03:54

Oh wow, just like my story. We always have this vision like we want to go make it and then come home, but then tell me how did yours go? Maybe probably you made it back home with big money. So tell me how did it happen? 

Ernestina  04:07

Okay, so when I got there, someone came for me at the airport, sow actually they where two . So they came for me and then they he took my passport on me I taught they are the relative of the lady I will be working withSo when I got there, I saw some other ladies lying in that room with sad faces and I asked them what's happening here. So they told me some of them have been there for three months without any job and others who are very sick without any medical attention. Some too they  even take them at night and no one knows where they take them. Yes. And and all of them had priced tags Yes. Yes, that's $5000, $6,000.

Real life with Missi  04:44

Wow, this is this is just like mine being sold for $6,000 and they normally take my pictures. Come and take a picture of me and then I don't know what to do with it. But before you realize someone will just come in and pay them that amount 

Ernestina  04:58

And they will take you yeah, that’s how it was. And most of these leaves are from Ghana, Sierra Leone and other parts of Africa but I didn't really understand. I thought maybe we're going to work together. No, no, no. 

Real life with Missi  05:10

You guys were just going on your separate ways. 

Ernestina  05:12

Yes. And one thing too they took my passports when I told Hajia about it but she said I shouldn't worry everything will be fine. Some days later I was transported in a cargo car covered with a trampoline [tarpaulin], So we latter arrived in one house I didn't see any child or anything and I was forced to work there. And later on I told Hajia about it and she told me that because I've been delayed or something so the process has changed they’ve sent someone else but I shouldn’t worry and the new family I'm working with they're good but it was a lie. 

Real life with Missi  05:40

What type of visa Did you travel with please? 

Ernestina  05:42

Uh I, it's [not] so easy. I don't really understand because it was not written in English and even in English, I wasn't that good in reading so but she told me Oh, it's a working visa. 

Real life with Missi  05:54

So what you guys see the reason I urge everyone to do a thorough research when embarking on such journeys. Don't let anyone deceive you do a thorough research, find out if the country you are traveling to it safe. Know the type of visa you're traveling with find out if there is any legal aid, any  consular bureau or an embassy that can represent you in case of anything before you embark on such journeys. Ernestina, please continue your story. 

Ernestina  06:18

Yeah, so that was when I realized everything that Hajia told me was a lie has been a lie. Yes. Because when I went there, there's this job that men has to do but we can get up from morning and even with them. They don't even know what they don't normally sleep at night. So by 3am You have to wake up and you work no food, no water. It was very bad. And it got to a point one day I remember one day I was sick and then I was having this stomach upset. I told one of the man, that was my boss I told him that I'm not feeling well, am having stomach upset. They gave me painkiller, painkiller for stomach pain yes and one thing too the most annoying part was it has expired,so painkiller for and am having stomach upset how can you give me painkiller?  

Real life with Missi  07:01

 And it's also it wasn't easy for you.

Ernestina  07:04

Even [if they] give me the food, give me medicine, there was no food, there was no food. It was very bad. And then they started maltreating me, it became very worse I told Hajia I was abused in a in a sort of different ways, where it was very bad and one day, then man brought one woman and then lady was  she doesn’t like me.She doesn’t like the way I am so for that she stay there for like two months the way this woman maltreated me, a woman -- 

Real life with Missi  07:35

Are you talking about a woman or a man?

Ernestina  07:36

 Yes, a woman. Oh she came, it was really bad she can just hit you with something. any object she sees, for no reason, just saying she doesn’t  like you. I don't like you.

Real life with Missi  07:46

Just like that? How can I fellow  women do that to her own? I see you're being emotional 

Ernestina  07:54

And one day two day they had this party at their house and when the guests came obviously they had this water that can drink and the woman took the water and throw it out like pour it away just because I will drink it and when they go out to get their shopping  or when they come,they go straight into their rooms. They don't bring it out to the kitchen but all the time this woman is on my neck I should do this I should do that and that's when it was very bad. Even when I was in Ghana here I realized that okay we didn't have much to eat  but it was okay either ways but it was very bad and  when their friends or when the woman, some of the woman she has Arab friends when they come see they've been traveling so when they come back oh no they're in the mood for sex like Oh, this girl is there take her She's so annoying that should be in their language too I don’t understand even the English I even struggle to speak in the way to even  express yourself. It was very bad.

Real life with Missi  08:46

 My listeners let's go for a quick commercial break, Ernestina is getting very emotional now we'll be right back.  

[Break] 

Welcome back the Real Life with Missi podcast today I have on the  show Ernestina sharing with us her migration experience. You know, it's not really easy to have women coming out to voice out their experience they had during their migration process. So I say Ernestina is really brave by joining us today and sharing her experience. Ernestina can we please continue? Are you okay for us to continue now? Okay, um, please during this where you paid? 

Ernestina  10:00

No, please, I was not paid. 

Real life with Missi  10:02

Oh really? You weren’t paid? How many months? Did you work there? 

Ernestina  10:06

Oh for two and a half years, but for the first three months, they said that they are working on it because of where I was at first. Because they  paid well I don't really know what they were saying. But they say most of my salary has gone there, the passport took some of my money and I that was when I called a Hajia, you said the passport and everything is for free. So how come I have not been paid for 3 to 4 months. I have not been paid for three to four months. But they are now saying that the salary has been used for my passport.

Real life with Missi  10:32

Imagine. And what did she say?

Ernestina  10:34

I didn’t really give her the time to explain everything  right now she's also busy doing her own stuff. She will get back to me. She will tell them she will see what she can do.

Real life with Missi  10:42

And what did she do? 

Ernestina  10:43

Nothing. Nothing. She even said, I was even like if she had money she should give to my family because at that point,

Real life with Missi  10:48

Because being gone for two and half years. That is really serious. 

Ernestina  10:50

And our mom too was not that strong. She wasn't that well so it was very difficult... Yes. Because I wanted to work and  to be sending her money for her to take care of the younger siblings. 

Real life with Missi  11:05

Oh my goodness. This is so sad. Please tell me how did you return home? 

Ernestina  11:10

Okay, so the way this woman was normally when she goes and she comes back that's when to become worse for the man side. It's only for sexual and those habits. I don't agree. But for that lady to abuse you, Yes. But for the woman it's all the size. If sexual, non sexual work anything. 

Real life with Missi  11:27

She just abuses? 

Ernestina 11:28

Yes. And so one day she hit me with a saucepan and I collapsed. But to her I think she thought I was dead. She just threw me out. And until then I had only been indoors. I've not I don't know the outer color of the house. 

Real life with Missi  11:42

So that means you've always been kept indoors? 

Ernestina  11:44

Yes please. 

Real life with Missi  11:45

You've never gone out of the house before?  And after she hits you with the saucepan, she dumped you outside. I bet she did this with the husband or what do you think? 

Ernestina  11:53

No, at that moment, the husband was not.

Real life with Missi  11:55

 Really.

Ernestina  11:56

Yes, the mother was and the man to most at times when he's in and the lady is doing that, he doesn't even care. They don't care. Yes. 

Real life with Missi  12:03

So. So when you were dumped? What happened? 

Ernestina  12:08

Yes. When I woke up, I saw myself in a room. This lady approached me. I think that was where my Savior came in. She was the one who helped me And then you were repatriated back home? 

Ernestina  12:18

Yes. Oh, my goodness. 

Real life with Missi  12:19

So how did family and friends receive you when you came back home? 

Ernestina  12:23

Some of them were like, some of them were, I don't know. They had this pity for me or sympathy. And some of them too, they don't care. I'm here working to take care of my mom. And I just stood up saying I'm going outside to work and you deserv it. 

Real life with Missi  12:41

And that means they were making fun of you. 

Ernestina  12:44

At that time, too. When I came back from my skin color, I was not okay.  When you talk,it will take some time for me to read what you are saying and give you the reply. Oh my goodness. Yes. Oh, my goodness. It wasn't okay. 

Real life with Missi  12:58

Ernestina, now that you are back What do you intend to do with your life?

Ernestina  13:01

 I still want to go back to the catering  school. Because that was my dream. 

Real life with Missi  13:04

Your dream aww um, Ernestina will still love to attend the catering school because that was her dream. And if anyone out there who would love to help Ernestina to make her dream come true, to make her dream a reality, we would be so grateful. But tell me what happened to Hajia when you  got back? 

Ernestina 13:22

Hajia when we got back she heard it and she was nervous she wasn't really sure. And the woman that helped me, the woman was like we should sue her. The first day we confronted her and she gave me a different story. The other day too both two stories were not matching. And later on she disappeared from the area. 

Real life with Missi  13:36

She just disappeared. You guys confronted her first. And she gave a different story. I think you just had to report it to the authorities for them to arrested her, that was the best thing to do. Because confronting her, she knows that there's a problem coming she will definitely have to disappear. And that's why she ran away. 

Ernestina 13:51

And at that time when I go back I was not that well and  I didn’t have the strength to do that. 

Real life with Missi  13:56

So it had to take time. I'm pleased to have African sisters, whenever you guys make it back home safe and sound, please do report these agents to the authorities for them to be dealt with. I think we will have to end it here  with Ernestina’s story. This is so touching, we are just happy that she is alive today to tell her story. As you all know we are always doing this to raise awareness on irregular migration and its consequences and also for our fellow wonderful women. We are paving way for our wonderful woman to join us and to share their experience. You know, to save lives. Their struggle, their hustle and in all how they overcame just as Ernestina overcame her challenges, overcame her migration story and today she is here.  Join me for another intriguing story on the Real Life with Missi podcasts. Until then, it's bye bye!