By Monrovia, Liberia – Three young Liberian girls, Yamah Smith, Janet Samula, and Garmai Pewee, are calling on the Government of Liberia for urgent intervention as they find themselves trapped in the dark web of human trafficking in Egypt. The trio, all residents of Lofa County, embarked on a journey to the Arab Republic of Egypt for employment, only to be deceived and forced into domestic servitude for profit. The heartbreaking accounts of Yamah Smith, aged 23, reveal the appalling living conditions she and her compatriots have endured since their arrival in Egypt.
Speaking through an email to The People’s News Online, she disclosed that they were promised a prosperous life with the opportunity to help themselves financially. However, reality has been far from the promised dream. Instead, they have been subjected to working excessive hours, having their passports confiscated, being denied wages, food, and medical care, and enduring physical abuse at the hands of their traffickers. Tragically, one of their colleagues has already lost her life under these horrific circumstances.
“It is not easy here; we need help; we suffer and want to get out of this place,” Yamah expressed, her voice laden with distress. “They brought us here and told our people that money is here and that when we come here, we will help ourselves, but we came and didn’t see anything instead we are working day and night without money, no food, we sleep in the living room, and when you talk, they beat you. As we speak, I’m not well,” she added.
Janet Samula, a 32-year-old participant in this ordeal, revealed that they have been unable to request assistance from the Liberian embassy in Egypt because they frequently face assault by regular citizens when seen on the streets. Liberian girls in the Arab world are experiencing a similar fate, but they are unable to leave their current location out of fear of returning home and facing the trauma that awaits them there, she continued. “Plenty people are here suffering, but how can they come home when they don’t have any money to start life like me?” Janet lamented. As a mother of three children, Janet also cautioned young Liberians to be vigilant about their travel destinations to avoid falling prey to similar situations. She emphasized that Egypt is not the safe haven some may perceive it to be, warning against false promises that lure innocent individuals into the clutches of traffickers.
The plight of these young Liberian girls sheds light on Egypt’s ongoing human trafficking crisis, despite the government’s efforts to curb the menace. According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, Egypt has remained under the international spotlight as a hotspot for human trafficking activities over the past five years. The Government of Liberia is urged to take immediate action to rescue Yamah Smith, Janet Samula, Garmai Pewee, and other Liberian girls in Egypt from their harrowing predicament.
Their cries for help serve as a grim reminder of the urgent need to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals from falling victim to exploitation. As the international community continues to address the global issue of human trafficking, it is hoped that swift action will be taken to rescue these young girls and bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice. The lives and dignity of these young women depend on it.
By: Alphanso G. Kalama
