A 32-year-old woman from Malawi has recounted the harrowing abuse she suffered while working as a maid in Oman.

Georgina was running a small business in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, but the quest to earn more money saw her fall for a rogue agent.

The agent, Georgina tells BBC, convinced her that she would earn more money working as driver in Dubai.

She prepared herself in earnest to go to Dubai and work as a driver, with the hope of changing the fortunes of her life… but she could not fathom what befall her.

It dawned on her that she was deceived when the plane she boarded landed in Muscat, Oman’s capital, instead.

She had no choice but be trapped by her employer – a family that subjected her to cruelty, working grueling hours, seven days a week.

“I reached a point where I couldn’t take it,” she tells BBC, adding that the man of the house started forcing her to have sex with him.

“It wasn’t only him,” she says. “He would bring friends and they would pay him after.”

Help arrives for Georgina

Pililani Mombe Nyoni, a Malawian activist based in the US, noticed Georgina’s plea for help on Facebook and took action.

Nyoni initiated a WhatsApp group to address the wider issue of human trafficking, which attracted more than 50 Malawian women.

They shared their traumatic experiences, including the confiscation of their passports upon arrival.

Some resorted to sending secret messages from toilets, highlighting the desperate situation they faced.

Nyoni collaborated with Ekaterina Porras Sivolobova, founder of Do Bold, a migrant charity based in Greece.

They worked to negotiate the release of trafficked women, exposing the exploitative “kafala” labor system in the Middle East.

Despite efforts to rescue victims and pressure the Malawian government to intervene, challenges persist. Some women returned home with severe injuries, while others like Aida Chiwalo, tragically lost their lives.

The Malawian government claims to be developing regulations for safe migration, but Nyoni emphasizes the need to address underlying issues of poverty and unemployment to prevent further exploitation.

For survivors like Georgina, healing remains a difficult journey. Yet, she finds solace in the serene view of Lake Malawi, holding onto hope for a brighter future.

As the plight of trafficked domestic workers in Oman gains attention, it underscores the urgency of combating human trafficking and ensuring the safety and dignity of all migrant workers.

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