Yaayira, Jordan

29-year-old Yaayira from Ghana still struggles with her health after being subjected to forced labour and starvation for two years in Jordan.

Transcript

Real Life with Missi Episode (3)

Real life with Missi  00:00

Hello, my wonderful listeners. Today is another phenomenal day. I am Missi, your moderator for the real life missi podcasts. I have this wonderful lady joining me today to share with us her migration experience. And before we quickly do that, let me just take the opportunity to thank my sponsors, Migrant-Rights.Org for their immense support for this. Hello, thank you for joining me today on the real life with music podcast. Um may you kindly tell us your name, the country you went to your age and where you are from in Ghana?

Yaayira   00:36

Okay, thank you for having me. I’m  Yaayira from Volta Region, and I'm 29 years old.

Real life with Missi  00:44

Okay. Um, which country? Did you travel to? 

Yaayira   00:47

I traveled to Jordan 

Real life with Missi  00:48

Jordan. Can you kindly tell us your life in Ghana before embarking on this journey?

Yaayira   00:54

Life in Ghana by then it wasn't easy. By then, I was staying with my step parents and I was I wasn't treated well. Okay. I was maltreated. So when I heard of this traveling, I thought maybe if I go and come things to get well, but it didn't go the way way  I… Okay, so

Real life with Missi  01:15

Take us through your typical life in Ghana with your parents.

Yaayira   01:18

How were things? Ah, I wasn't staying with my mom and my mom. I was staying with my stepmom. Okay. So it wasn't easy for me.

Real life with Missi  01:33

Any educational background

Yaayira   01:35

SHS (Senior High School)? 

Real life with Missi  01:37

Oh, okay. That's that's okay. So tell us the process. How was your process traveling to Jordan?

Yaayira   01:45

The process?

Real life with Missi  01:46

Yeah. How was the process you met? Who? Did you hear about it on the radio? Or you met someone? Okay.

Yaayira   01:56

I met my friend, a friend who introduced me into this traveling . And I said, Okay, let me try and see. So she couldn't tell me anything. She went and she came back and she lied to me that way, then everything was cool. They treated her well. So I said, okay, then I also go that was how it started.

Real life with Missi  02:17

So the process did you pay any money? What do you do have your passport? Like? Can you take us through that?

Yaayira   02:24

Ah, I think I paid airport fee. And then medicals. Okay. And then the passport? So, the passport yourself? Yes, I did it myself.

Real life with Missi  02:35

And the what of the flight? The visa fee and everything...

Yaayira   02:39

The visa and the flight thing that people paid for it? 

Real life with Missi  02:43

Did you pay them back? Or that? 

Yaayira   02:44

Yes. They  deducted, they deducted it from my salary.

Real life with Missi  02:47

Oh, how many months of salary? How many months salary did they deduct?

Yaayira   02:52

Now one I cannot tell you cannot force our agents couldn't open up, open up.

Real life with Missi  03:00

Please tell me when you got to Jordan, How was the experience there?

Yaayira   03:05

But when I went when I went to Jordan, the first week, they treated me very well. I was happy. I thought maybe I got a good place. But after one week, they started maltreating.

Real life with Missi  03:21

You take us through some of the treatments, the more treatment and

Yaayira   03:25

The treatment is I sometimes I work from four o'clock in the morning. That's four am in the morning . So 11pm, I'll be working the whole day.

Real life with Missi  03:40

Wow. And how much were they paying you?

Yaayira   03:42

It was it was 10 million in Ghana cedis.  

Real life with Missi  03:52

So let's say back then that will be like $200 or  250$

Yaayira   03:57

Yes, yes. Okay.

Real life with Missi  04:00

How did you return back to Ghana

Yaayira   04:04

Buh, um In the process? Well, while I was with them, I became very sick. Okay, because I don't eat. Mm hmm. You were starved? Yes. They don’t feed me. I eat breakfast in the morning. Then in the evening I have eat their left over. I eat two times a day. So one day they weren't they were not in the house. So I decided to make something and eat not knowing the woman. count everything from the fridge  before leaving. So when she came back and she saw that, I took one of the bread and this thing and then she asked me why did you touch the food in the fridge? And I told her I was hungry. And then she warned me that I shouldn't touch anything from the fridge again. Another day. They went out no food in the house. So I decided to make something and eat. She came back and asked me again, why did I touch the food, I told her I was hungry. And then she took me under the house is underground. Okay, she took me there. And she showed me a rope. That  if anytime I touch any food from this house again, she will aunt me, wow. So from there, I don't touch any food when they are going out. Don't count everything from the fridge do count every food. So I became very sick. They took me to the hospital. And it's like, the doctors say, I don't eat well, that is why I'm feeling and I was feeling like some maggots were moving in my body from head to toe. serious one. So they gave me some medication and some iron. And from there, they told me they should feed me well, and then give me some fruits , even that one they did it for only one week. After one week, they started again, no food. Wow. So two years. And the woman hate to see me sitting or relaxing. Because they didn't want to see you sitting  down idle  Have to work, work everyday work work from morning to evening.

Real life with Missi  06:16

So let's just say yours was being subjected to forced labor by just working. But you were never harassed sexually, or they never hit you. They never abused you physically.

Yaayira   06:29

No, buh the woman sometimes shout at me. shout a lot at me. And then insult me in the language.

Real life with Missi  06:39

Well, so um, tell us how did you get back to Ghana?

Yaayira   06:44

How did I get back to Ghana? Yeah. Okay. After two years, I told them, I want to go home because the contract has ended. 

Real life with Missi  06:53

Oh, so yours was on the contract? 

Yaayira   06:54

Yes, please. It has ended. So they should give me my money. And when I went there, after three months, I asked for the money. They said, Oh, I'll pay you How sure are you that  when I send the money home, your people will be able to keep it for you? How sure are you and I said okay. And the man said he will keep it for me.I said okay. After six months again, I asked of  the money again. He said the same thing that Oh, I shouldn't worry. Give me all the money when I'm going home. So after two years, when my the contract ended, then I asked the man that I want to go home because my time is up. And he said okay, so he bought a ticket for me. And he gave me all my two years salary, but they deducted the hospital bills from it. And the sure (deodorant ) and the pomade. I've been buying they deducted everything from it.  Yes. before giving me the money. And then that night, a day before I go back home, I'll come back home. The woman because the man paid me the man  brought the money first and then later the woman brought me a tea. Not knowing the woman added medicine, to the tea, she poisoned the tea? Yes. Wow. Also, when I took the tea, I fell asleep. I fell asleep. So the next morning. And then I think I fell asleep not knowing they took the money from my handbag.  

Real life with Missi  08:36

So in the evening, in the night and night before your departure. You were given some tea? By the woman. Yes. And you fell asleep. Which literally means that she drugged drugged you? Yes. And when you wake up, you didn't check your bag

Yaayira   08:55

Yes, because I slept over you slept over,so like you already packed I packed everything. So even they  came and called me I should stand up and wear my things. My time is up. So I couldn't check my handbag. So when they took me to the airport, and left while I entered into the panel now check my handbag. They took the money from it. 

Real life with Missi  09:20

Holy moly. You were already on the flight. Yes. And you couldn't...

Yaayira   09:24

... there was no way you could there is no way I could get back. I came back empty.

Real life with Missi  09:31

Wow, this is really interesting. Well,

Yaayira   09:35

I nearly got mad. 

Real life with Missi  09:37

I understand. I know how that feels, you know having to work for two good years. And coming back home 

Yaayira   09:42

Even while I was sick. I told them I want to come back home. He said no. I did everything. I still work

Real life with Missi  09:49

when you were sick, you still working instead of them letting you rest. This is really interesting. I just don't want to put myself in your shoes right now because it will be crazy. So tell me when you got to Ghana, you like, like when the flights landed? What did you do?

Yaayira   10:05

I called one of my brother. And he came and picked me said I should pay for the taxi fee. I should change someday this thing, dollar to. And I said, Oh, that's funny. And I said, oh, you should pay for it when we get home. Oh. And then he paid when we get home. I told him everything. What's happened? And so they were all like, they were all worried. But some people around always tease me, you went abroad came back nothing! 

Real life with Missi  10:06

I nearly asked you that question. How did family and friends receive you?

Yaayira   10:49

Only my mom and my brother understands me. But the rest of them? What about your step parents oh  for them? They thought I came back with money. So they were always calling I need this. I need that. But they don't know. And I don't want to tell them. This is what happened? Oh, by the people around me the compound house. They were teasing me all the time mocking me.

Real life with Missi  11:16

Well, before I ask you this question, I want to know what would be your advice to our fellow young woman who wants to embark on this kind of journeys, you know, in search for greener pastures, what will  be your advice to them.

Yaayira   11:30

My advice for them is anytime they hear of this traveling traveling things, they should do more inquiries before going because some of us or  some they went and like it went well for them. And others too it couldn’t go well well for them. So they should do more research because these people they are not good. They're not good. I wouldn't advise anyone to travel to this Arab countries.

Real life with Missi  12:03

I see. What are you currently doing? Nothing. So ever since you came back your home? No working ,

Yaayira   12:10

No working.

Real life with Missi  12:12

Do you have any business in mind? Or do you have anything in mind that you want to do? Because you can't be like this, you will have to definitely do something.

Yaayira   12:21

Like if I get a shop, it will be okay for me to I can start doing some selling some drinks and provisions you want to sell drinks and provisions Okay. Okay. So if I get a store, I'm cool with it.

Real life with Missi  12:39

But are you fully healed? Are you fully healed?

Yaayira   12:42

And because of the hunger too I  have this Ulcer. Even  till now  you  still have the  Ulcer  Yes. And I came back I went to hospital took medicine and even my skin I went to do a skin test. Because of the things moving in me.

Real life with Missi  12:58

So who paid for all those costs. Because you came back empty. 

Yaayira   13:02

So my brother. 

Real life with Missi  13:03

Wow. Wow. Well, you  sure do have a kind brother. 

Yaayira   13:07

Well, yes. So that's Yaayira, sharing with us her story. It's  a touchy one and I think we'll end it here. Um, Yaayira you  thank you so much for joining me today. Once again. Your story is quite a sad one. And I also hope the young woman out there will listen and then take the important notes from it. They should be very careful, just as you said, Thank you. Thank you so much. So that was

Real life with Missi  13:33

Yaayira she is a returnee from Jordan. And she is currently back in Ghana. And that was her story she just shared with us. How I wish the stories that we've been hearing it could have been a different thing like what if the story was different? Imagine this ladies ,this young woman traveling and retaining with my migration experience. How lovely will the world be? W'll join me for the next episode of the Real Life with Missi podcast. I hope you all have a great day and see you soon! 

*Note this transcript has been produced with AI and may contain errors