How I was sold to Police Chief in Iraq – Woman recounts harrowing experience

A Ghanaian lady in her mid-20s has narrated how her desperation to flee poverty in Ghana led her to modern day slavery in Iraq.

According to Efia (not her real name), she was promised by a travel and tour agency, Blue Star Ventures, in Ablekuma in Accra, of a job in the hotel industry in the middle east only to end up in the terrible situation.

She recounted how many Ghanaian ladies are beaten, raped and killed for demanding a return home after noticing that the jobs they expected did not exist.

“I was sold to a family and had to clean the whole house alone everyday. The house was a fourteen bedroom apartment. I was paid $250 a month. It was only food and sometimes clothes that was provided by the family I stayed with. After 7 months, my dad passed and I decided to come home. Those I was living with told me I cannot go because I was bought to work for 2 years. Attempts to move to Ghana after several attempts failed. I was later sold to another family and later to a house full of men,” she recounted her experience to Morning Starr host Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Thursday.

She added: “In Iraq, I was sexually abused, maltreated among other things. Life there was tough. I was later sold to a Chief of Police in Babylon in Iraq. I had to serve a family of 24. After assurances that the Chief of Police would get me tickets to travel back home, I was disappointed. I chanced on one Ernest Opuni Ministry on social media. I prayed and fasted with them whenever they are praying and fasting. I believed God during the period of fasting and prayers. After the back and forth, I had the opportunity to come back to Ghana. I came back to Ghana with nothing but I thank God for bringing me back home safely”.

She advised Ghanaians to be cautious with promises of trips abroad.

“I’ll tell all Ghanaians and especially ladies to be very careful. I think it’s better to be working hard here than traveling through a source that’s not genuine”.

Many Ghanaians continue to fall prey to exploitation in many countries across the world in the quest of better jobs and opportunities.