Scores of maids flee from their employers after what seems like a sleepover at their sponsor’s home seeking refuge at the OWWA shelter.
But Filipina household worker Leah Rea never had the luxury of taking a day off from chores in the last three years. She has been at the OWWA shelter for almost five months sitting and waiting for her sponsor to give her due.
She arrived in Bahrain almost three years ago to work for the Bahraini sponsor as a housemaid. Delayed and partially paid wages that included physical and verbal abuse took its toll when her sponsor’s son allegedly sexually molested her.
Scores of maids flee from their employers after what seems like a sleepover at their sponsor’s home seeking refuge at the OWWA shelter.
But Filipina household worker Leah Rea never had the luxury of taking a day off from chores in the last three years. She has been at the OWWA shelter for almost five months sitting and waiting for her sponsor to give her due.
She arrived in Bahrain almost three years ago to work for the Bahraini sponsor as a housemaid. Delayed and partially paid wages that included physical and verbal abuse took its toll when her sponsor’s son allegedly sexually molested her.
Her suffering continued as she was also forced to work in her sponsor’s extended family, that included the sons and daughters’ five homes on a daily basis.
“I came here to work for my family, I endured all that time of abuse and not being able to send money home on time, but I couldn’t work in fear of my sponsor’s sons touching me everytime,” she said.
“I worked almost 20 hours daily, waking up at 4am and going to bed at 1am. It came to a point where my salary of BD50 was being paid in installments because they claimed they didn’t have the money to pay me.”
“They’re forcing me to wear a hijab in spite of my objections; I’m a Christian, not Muslim.”
“Then it was time for me to take my vacation after serving them for two years. I was told I couldn’t go because my sponsors didn’t have the money for my ticket. My mother also died that year and I couldn’t even send money or even attend the burial, I was devastated.”
Leah ran away to the shelter, leaving all of her possessions at her sponsor’s house. “I arrived here with my body alone, all my things are still with them. My confiscated mobile phone, my radio and CD player, a pair of earrings and personal effects were left behind. I fear that they may have discarded my things and I won’t be able to retrieve them.”
Her sponsor says that Leah is only making a problem for herself.
“We have always treated her like a family member, we ate at the same table and shared the same food. We’re also working people who understand her status, she ran away without warning. She was always paid on time; after her two-year contract expired, we offered her plane ticket to go home but she herself refused. She begged for us not to send her home, so we renewed her contract and she stayed.”
“We don’t want to make trouble, all we want is for her to come back and complete the remaining one year of service.”
(Ayla Marisse Ginete)
Article from: Bahrain Tribune Newspaper- www.BahrainTribune.com