Rescued from Despair: Two Ugandan Housemaids Share Their Harrowing Experiences in Jordan
By Fredrick Siminyu
Faith Kwagala and Mary Lydia Nakaweesi, two Ugandan housemaids, returned home on September 3, 2024, after being stranded and jailed in Jordan for close to four months.
Their repatriation was made possible through the joint efforts of the Ugandan Labor Ministry and Muko Protection Agency, a private company that helps repatriate stranded Ugandans in the Middle East.
The duo had left Uganda in February and March 2024, respectively, in search of better opportunities but ended up facing mistreatment and exploitation.
Mary Lydia Nakaweesi recounted her ordeal, saying, “I was really mistreated and didn’t get any happiness while in Jordan… I went there to work as a housemaid for one house but after two weeks, I was assigned three more houses.”
She added that she was meant to earn Shs850,000 monthly but was never paid and was denied the chance to speak to her people and rest.
Faith Kwagala, who was also filled with joy and happiness, stated, “I left Uganda hoping for better things but unfortunately, this wasn’t the case… I was subjected to hard labor which I couldn’t manage to do.”
She added that she was jailed for four months until the Labor Ministry intervened and helped them return to Uganda.
The Director of Muko Protection Agency, Najimeddi Hisham Najim, revealed that his agency is currently working on over fifty cases of Ugandans stuck and jailed in Jordan prisons.
He emphasized the need for an umbrella body to ensure the safety of Ugandans working in the Middle East.
Nakaweesi thanked Muko Protection Agency and the government of Uganda for returning them home, saying, “Glory be to God… I was meant to go abroad, look for capital, and start a saloon, but this never materialized as I ended up in jail.”
