Esther, Kuwait

Migrating to Kuwait on a visit visa, Esther's migration experience was a mixed bag of fortune and challenges.

Transcript

*Note: This transcript was generated by AI and may contain errors*

Real life with Missi  00:00

Hello and welcome! Missi is the name and I'm your moderator for the Real Life with Missi podcast. You all know this program has given many of our African sisters the platform to share their migration and life experience, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Join me as I welcome another wonderful lady who is returnee, and she is here today to also share her migration experience. I'm so excited. Hello, Madame. Thank you for joining me today on The Real Life with Missi podcast.

Esther  00:39

Thank you for having me.

Real life with Missi  00:41

Um, can you please tell us your name, your age and the country you went to?

Esther  00:45

I’m Esther and am 29 and I went to  Kuwait 

Real life with Missi  00:49

Kuwait. Okay, please tell us, um, your life in Ghana before you embarked on this journey.

Esther  00:55

My life in Ghana was not easy for myself and my family. So I had to travel out and send them money   so that it can provide for them for themselves.

Real life with Missi  01:07

Wow. Are you the eldest? Yes. Um, how many siblings? We are three. Okay, so  you have two younger siblings? 

Esther

Yes.

Real life with Missi  

How was the process? How did the process start with you traveling to Kuwait?

Esther  01:20

They pay for everything. 

Real life with Missi 

Who paid? 

Esther

The people I went to stay with

Real life with Missi  01:24

No, but I'm asking about the idea about you traveling? Where did it start from? Did you just wake up and said you are traveling or you? What happened?

Esther  01:32

Well, someone introduced me that there's a place called Kuwait and they need workers need workers. So I was interested. So I asked about the process. And what they said was the people who  will send me will pay for everything. So I will just go and work for them.

Real life with Missi  01:53

So you didn't pay anything? Who did your passport?

Esther  01:57

The agent did the passport? 

Real life with Missi

And that one you didn't pay? 

Esther

No, I didn't pay interesting and you didn't pay for your visa, flight? No I didn’t pay anything? Um, tell me where you got there. How was your experience? Well, it was nice. It wasn't like other countries. Like where people will be maltreating the girls buh the house I went they were very good. Wow. Yes. Wow. Interesting. Very good.

Real life with Missi  02:28

Really. Because we have stories coming in with ladies being maltreated. Some were not paid. Some were being abused sexually,physically you never experienced I  never experienced that. I'm interested. I want you to tell me,take me through your experience there  let me know. So when you arrived who picked you up at the airport

Esther  02:47

when I arrived, the woman who I went to stay with came for me with her driver. So when I get there, she thought she gave me what I will do. Maybe in the morning, I'll do breakfast. I'll clean the house wash, but I have to wash with my bare hand. There's a washing machine for me to wash. Wow. Then will just iron box I think it was good. 

Real life with Missi  03:17

Your experience was good. It was good.

Interesting. Let me ask you something. Were you paid?

Esther  03:22

Yes. I was paid every month every month.

Real life with Missi  03:26

Were you starved? No. You were never starved, not a day  No. Interesting. And were you sexually abused? Like the other stories that we hearing?

Esther  03:33

Well, Once a while the man disturbs you Yes. But God, God being so good. He'd never touched me.

Real life with Missi  03:44

Wow. Wow. Wow, this is I'm really, I'm happy about today because I think this is the second time I'm hearing positive experience like people giving me stories and the stories are really great. Most of the stories we've been hearing are really awful.

Esther  04:02

Well, when you get a get a good house, they will treat you good.

Real life with Missi  04:05

So wait am really what type of visa did you travel with? Come  again, what type of visa did you travel with?  

Esther  04:15

I didn't know. So you

Real life with Missi  04:17

Just they gave you a visa. You just left, you didn’t  even check when I was visa employment something

Esther  04:17

Well, I it was a visit visit. Visa? Yes.

Real life with Missi  04:29

Okay. And you went there? Did they change anything for you? They didn't change anything. So you were just working with a visitor's visa? Yes. But do you know that you are not supposed to work with a visitor's visa? Or you travel to someone's country because you're just there for a visit?

Esther  04:45

I don't know for them but we don't go out. If if they if they want to go out you go with you go with them. You don’t  go out alone.

Real life with Missi  04:55

So you were never allowed outside. You were always in the house,how many hours did you work?

Esther  05:02

As when you're working in your own house? From morning to evening, that's how but you rest 

Did you have enough rest? 

Esther

Yes, I did. Interesting. Interesting. 

Real life with Missi  05:16

So that means there are some good people. Good people out there. Wow. Wow,

Real life with Missi  05:21

I'm really, really happy today. Like, I'm so happy. Wherever they are May God bless them. They really tried. Because, stories I have been hearing trust me, not good at all. So not good. You know, I'm so excited to hear that you were not maltreated. And you had enough rest. Wow, this is the second time, you know, in fact, I'm beginning to believe that there are really some good people out there. There are good people out there indeed. And please continue with us. Let me know I want to know more of your experience, because this is so exciting.

Esther  05:54

Well, any  time they  go out. Especially the children. Yeah, when they go out. They take me along. Especially when they're going to the hairdressing salon. I go with them. Do you do your hair? No. You only  escort them there Interesting, interesting. Sometimes I escort them to school, and I'll come back to the house. Wow.

Real life with Missi  06:18

So that means you had a very nice experience . Tell me, how did you get back to Ghana?

Esther  06:25

Well, my contract ended.

Real life with Missi  06:27

So I have to come. 

Real life with Missi 

So you were doing a contract for how many years or two years?

Esther

For two years. 

Real life with Missi  

And during these two years? You were okay there, you were never starved ? No, Oh my goodness. Wow, this is really interesting. I'm so excited. So when your contracts ended and what happened? Well,

Esther  06:46

I spent three months before coming back together. You spent three months before coming back to Ghana?

Real life with Missi  06:56

Were you able to save up some money? 

Esther

No. 

Real life with Missi   

So you were just working and sending money back home to the family? And were able to do something for you. As in the money you've been sending them? Maybe they invested in some business or something? 

Esther

No, nothing, nothing they were just paying for my youngest ones Fees, their fees. 

Real life with Missi   

Wow. So now what are you currently doing?

Esther  07:19

Am helping someone to sell Koko (porridge) that’s what  I do now  

Real life with Missi  07:29

So now that you are helping assisting someone in selling porridge, what do you intend doing? Do you have any plans?

Esther  07:35

I wish to have my own my own business so that I can also be a bit. Okay.

Real life with Missi  07:44

Okay. What's your advice to our fellow young women who traveled out to the Arab countries in search for greener pastures? What's your advice to them?

Esther  07:54

Well, my advice is, my own was good. But I can’t tell So I think it's better to stay here in Ghana and do something for yourself 

Real life with Missi  08:06

No, I don't understand why would you tell them to stay in Ghana when you travel,you had a lovely experience? 

Esther  08:10

Yes, I have a lovely experience, but not all will also have the same experience.

Real life with Missi  08:17

So you are looking out for them? They might not end up like you. So okay, okay. Okay, so they should be careful, careful. Wow. Wow, this is interesting. This is interesting. I'm really excited. And I'm happy having you today. And your story is really exciting. Your story is really exciting and I'm happy that there are some good people out there. I would like to thank you, Madame Esther, for joining me today on the real life with MISSI podcast. Your story is really great. It's really inspiring. 

Thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you. Well, that was another exciting episode on the real life music podcast. Um, the greatest glory in living lies not in never falling. But in rising every time we fall. And if we have the power to make someone happy, please, let's just do it. The world needs more of that. We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in our hands to make a difference. Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers. Probably no greater honor can come to any man than the respect of his colleagues. It is not the gray hair that makes one respectable, but character. If one doesn't respect oneself, one can have neither love nor respect for others. Well, I want to take this opportunity to thank my sponsors migrant rights.org for their immense support and for making this possible. I end today's podcasts with a quote from George Ramos. He says the greatest nations are defined by how they treat the weakest inhabitants. Thank you and see you next time!