THE STORY

Selina Opuku left Ghana in 2016 for Lebanon to work for Rashed Ghandour and Lena Aad. Her family didn’t hear from her for almost two years. Selina says she was not paid at all during this time, and she was not allowed any contact with her family. She alleges that before she left, Lena Aad publicly humiliated her by stripping her on the street. To date, Selina has not been paid.

On 30 September 2018, Selina’s brother Stephen Opuku contacted This Is Lebanon from Ghana about his sister, who had been employed two years. Stephen wrote: “Please, I have my sister in Lebanon and she is undergoing slavery and abuse. She want to come back to Ghana. Ever since she left she have not receive anything [any payment]. Her phone has been seized and the passport also. We can’t talk to her nor the madam cause the madam has BLOCKED me from talking to her directly.”

Rashed Ghandour, who worked in Ghana, sent Selina to work for his (now ex-) wife Lena Aad. According to Selina, her employers didn’t pay her for two years. The audio posted below is a conversation between This Is Lebanon and Lena Aad. We asked to speak to Selina on Lena’s phone, but she declined, saying she’s “always busy at work,” and that when she allows Selina to use the phone she “always makes trouble.”

Lena said to wait for Selina in Ghana, and that she would send her within two months once her “other girl” (employee) had arrived. Lena told This Is Lebanon that “under the rules in Lebanon, no one can force me to to buy her a phone or let her contact her family,” and that she only has the “right to contact her family once every six months.” Lena alleged that Selina was making trouble and that her family were repeatedly asking her for money which she didn’t want to send them.

“Under the rules in Lebanon, no one can force me to to buy her a phone or let her contact her family,” – Lena

After This Is Lebanon sent Rashed and Lena the audio recording, the employers sent Selina back to Ghana. But before Selina was sent back, she alleges that Lena stripped her on the street in front of her husband, while he stood on and watched. Lena allegedly told Selina that her clothes didn’t belong to her as she had bought them for her.

This Is Lebanon sent that video to Lena and Rashed Aad on WhatsApp. We asked them to pay Selina her two years salary and send her home. Lena blocked us:

Rashed replied saying his ex-wife was a ‘narcissist’ and he would get Selina away from her. This he did. However, he sent her home without any payment for her 2 years of forced labour. We had a long conversation with Rashed and he made many promises to pay her but never delivered on those promises. In the end, we gave up on him and posted. Part of the conversation with him is pictured in the screenshot.

Selina now has a lawyer and her case will go to the courts. It will probably take a long time. Will she eventually get justice? Watch this space.

THE STORY

Glencia (also known as Auntie Ellen), was a Filipino woman who worked for Najla Saad for 18 years starting from 2001. Her salary was $250 per month.

Glencia worked for Najla Saad for 18 years. She was undocumented for 13 of those years. She returned home to the Philippines in a coffin.

Najla’s husband was Mustafa Saad, a well-known political figure in Sidon who had lost his own sight as a result of being attacked during the civil war. He died in 2002. Najla and her husband helped establish a national eye bank, which provides free cornea transplant operations. Najla is well known for her philanthropy, though in this case it seems her charity didn’t extend to her longstanding employee.

In late November 2018, Glencia became ill, and was taken to the public hospital, where she stayed for three nights. Three weeks later her symptoms returned.

Glencia was diagnosed as having had a stroke. The hospital discharged her, but she was seriously ill. She subsequently lost control of her bowels, her speech, and her ability to walk.

Glencia had a daughter who also works in Sidon, but throughout this period, Najla allegedly refused to let her daughter visit her very ill mother.

Glencia’s daughter took her to Labib Private Hospital, but the hospital allegedly wouldn’t admit her because Najla refused to pay. The daughter then took her back to the public hospital.

After her release from the hospital, Najla reportedly tried to use her connections to get her employee back to the Philippines, but Glencia was refused permission to travel and she was returned to Najla’s house.

Glencia passed away at 6.30am on 8 January, 2019, after her employer of 18 years allegedly refused to pay her medical bills.

Her body was repatriated on 19 January. Her daughters declined to make a video because they are afraid – they are still working in Lebanon.

Maybe if Najla had renewed Glencia’s working documents, she would have had access to better medical treatment and would not have passed away as a result.

She might have been able to travel back to the Philippines. If Glencia’s daughters worked in a country where domestic workers were covered by the labour laws, they would be able to bring a legal case against Najla. But this is Lebanon.

COMMENTS

SUPPORT OUR WORK

We depend on your donation to fight for domestic workers in Lebanon.

GIVE NOW

THE STORY

Abay contacted This Is Lebanon because her employers owed her salary and were refusing to send her home. They told her to go and stay with her sister who also works in Beirut. We advised Abay not to go, as her employers would most likely accuse her of running away and say she stole from them. They kicked her out of the house late at night, but instead of going to her sister’s, she spent the night in her employers’ carpark – hungry and thirsty.

Eventually her employers brought her back into the house. Due to pressure from This Is Lebanon, they bought her a ticket and sent her home – but without her final two months’ salary. Desperate to get out of their house, Abay agreed and left. It has been 10 (?) months and she still hasn’t been paid. Peter made many, many promises to us and her that he would pay but he never kept them. Now we have published Abay’s story and a few of the audios from Peter so that people will know the truth.

After This Is Lebanon spoke to Peter Kojrian, he threatened to not pay a single dollar if any image was posted online.

COMMENTS

SUPPORT OUR WORK

We depend on your donation to fight for domestic workers in Lebanon.

GIVE NOW

THE STORY

Ali Hammoud, his wife Fatimeh, and young son live in Sidon. Ali works for Electricité du Liban. His wife is a school teacher and therefore out of the house most days. Ali, on the other hand, only works two days/one night per week. That meant he was home alone with the Ethiopian domestic worker a lot. The worker says that he raped her multiple times, including once in his wife’s village when they were there for a family wedding.

The employee asked her employer, and the employment agency, multiple times to be able to leave, but she was not allowed; she alleges that her employer and the agent knew each other.

“I was working in the kitchen and he grabbed me. I tried to fend him off but I couldn’t…He choked me and squeezed by breast. It was very painful…He said I’d have big problems if I told anyone.” – Domestic Worker for Ali Hammoud

For 10 months she says she was repeatedly raped. She asked to leave, but was told she wasn’t allowed by both her employer and her agency. She had nowhere to turn; her agency and employer knew each other, and she was afraid that if she complained to the agency she would be harmed further by Ali Hammoud.

Then she found This Is Lebanon’s Facebook page and we were able to advise her on what to do. Just days after her escape on 15 May 2018, she was able to travel back to Ethiopia – but without any justice.

In Lebanon it is almost impossible for a migrant domestic worker to take her rapist to court.

She would have to sit in a safe house without any salary for months.
Without any physical evidence it’s just her word against his and the Lebanese courts never believe a domestic worker over a Lebanese.

Making this video allowed her to go home with the feeling that she had received some justice. Her face is hidden because Ethiopia is a ‘shame culture’ and she did not want her family to know what she had suffered in Lebanon. It is her hope that following the publication of this video, Ali Hammoud will not be able to do the same thing to her replacement.

This Is Lebanon hopes that it will serve as a warning to other Lebanese men who are tempted by the presence of the vulnerable domestic worker locked in their house. No longer will these rapes be hidden. When these stories have gone onto the net in the past, the rapist’s face has been blurred, the name left unsaid. No more. Enough rapes.

Find Ali on Facebook here. Watch the testimony against him below. Join the conversation on Facebook; share to show that this cannot be hidden in silence.

Testimony from the Video

Full Video Testimony

“Once my mother was sick so I told them I needed to go home but they told me I couldn’t leave. They took me to the agency and I told them too. The agency also said I couldn’t leave. I was scared because the agent and my employer knew each other. I didn’t tell the agent about the abuse. Because I was afraid they’d harm me when I went back. But I told them he was harassing me.

He raped me again in the village, in my madam’s sister’s house. Everyone went to a wedding but my mister stayed home alone. I wasn’t expecting it but he locked all the doors and came to me. Like the other times, he choked me. I couldn’t escape. Whenever he came, he choked me and warned me not to tell anyone. Sometimes he was looking for an excuse to beat me up and the madam would hold him to stop him.

The madam doesn’t know about this, I didn’t tell her. I was scared she might hurt me so I kept quiet. Most Ethiopians who come here are suffering. I wish everyone would stop coming to this country. I don’t want anything. I just want to go home. There was not enough food. Sometimes I was very hungry. When I was starving I ate bread. When she came home she checked the fridge and would say “Where is the bread I bought yesterday?” I kept quiet. There was no food in the fridge. If she cooked, she would eat with her son and give me a small amount. I was hungry every day.

The madam is a teacher and wasn’t at home. The mister works for the electricity company. He works once per week. He sleeps overnight there and comes back the next day. The rest of the week he’s at home.

It was really, really difficult. Sometimes I wanted to die and thought about committing suicide. It was so difficult. The moment she left the house, my suffering started.”

THE STORY

The following is a testimony from Ednalyn Almazan, a Filipino woman who came to Lebanon in August 2014 to work for Dr. Lina Dakar Mattar, a dermatologist, and her husband Dr. Jean Maurice Mattar, an orthopedic surgeon. After two years of working for the Mattars, she asked to return home to the Philippines but her employers wouldn’t let her. She says she was not allowed any days off, and she says that she suffered physical abuse from her employer after she purchased her own ticket home. She left Lebanon in October 2017, having worked for them for over three years. To this day, she is owed $1,850.

“Hi. I’m Ednalyn Almazan. I started work in Lebanon on 23 August 2014. My employer, Lina Dakar Mattar, is a dermatologist. She has a clinic in Jounieh and in Achrafieh. The family live in Brick Lane, bloc b Hazmieh, and Aqua Marina 1 Tabarja Beach Motel. I worked in Lebanon for more than three years for the same employer. The name of her daughter is Marilyne and her sons are Maurice and Karl. Her husband’s name is Maurice Jean Mattar. He’s a doctor and works in a hospital in Jounieh.

They were nice to me for the first two years so I extended on the understanding that I could go home in Apri 2017.

In April I asked to go back to the Philippines but they wouldn’t send me. I didn’t have a day off. I was always in the house or chalet. In July, August, September and October Dr. Lina beat my arms cause I’d decided to go back home as soon as possible.

I paid for my one way ticket. On 15 October 2017 I flew home. In the airport Dr. Lina gave me part of my salary but not all of it. They owe me $1,850. She promised me she would send it to me but I’m still waiting. I sent a message to send the rest of my salary but they didn’t reply although they read my message. I want my salary. I got tired working for them. I pray that they send the rest of my salary.”

To help Ednalyn Almazan get her full salary, you can contact the Mattars on the numbers below:

Dr. Lina Mattar: 03- 630406

Dr. Jean Maurice Mattar: 03-643040

Dr. Lina Mattar works here: Dermamed, Professional Service, Achrafieh.

THE STORY

She was returned to her employment agency, where she was verbally abused and witnessed other domestic workers being physically abused. She was then hired by Nadimeh El Murr and her husband Elias El Murr. At their home too, she says she faced sexual harassment from Elias El Murr, had no days off and was not allowed a Lebanese SIM card.

When she confronted her employers, Nadimeh El Murr told her she had to pay $2,500 and that she would then take her back to the agency. Nadimeh threatened to have her jailed if she told her agency about the harassment. She ran away from her employers shortly after, remaining undocumented in Lebanon and working illegally until she left the country in 2016.

“Good morning This Is Lebanon page! I was once a victim of abuse as a domestic helper in Lebanon. I am not very fluent in English so please arrange my story before you publish it.

One day when I was ironing the clothes he came to me and talk about dirty things like sex and told me not to tell the madam that he’s talking to me like that.

And I said yes sir because I was really afraid. So I told my Filipina neighbor everything and asked her what I should do. She told me that I could still change my employer since I don’t have a work permit or iqama (residence permit) yet. So I asked the madam to bring me back to the agency because I don’t like to work with them anymore. At first the madam refused to take me to the agency. She said that she likes me and the kids like me too. But I insisted not only because of her husband but also because I work from 5:30am till 10 at night. And eat once a day!

So after two days of crying she finally brought me to the agency, which was owned by the Saliba family. The sister of Joseph Saliba, Dalida Saliba, shouted at me. But I couldn’t do anything, just cry. So I stayed in the agency for about a week with three other domestic workers who also went back to that agency. They gave us food once a day which was one bread and 2 picon cheese each.

After a few days there was a Nepali lady that came back to that agency also. Joseph Saliba slapped her and kicked her in front of us because she didn’t know how to speak English or Arabic. And when Joseph asked her she couldn’t answer all the questions.

But let’s go back to my story, after a week of waiting at last there was one madam who interviewed me and asked me if I was willing to work with them. I said yes, so I went with her to their house which is in Elissar. Her name is Nadimeh El Murr and her husband Elias El Murr. They have 3 children. The kids were nice and the madam too and the sir was nice for the first few months. I did all the household chores except cooking. But I was not allowed to have a day off and not allowed to have a Lebanese Sim card. I only call home once a month for 15 minutes. One day when my madam was not at home, sir come home from his work for lunch. He started to ask me how many children I have and how is my husband. I said I have two kids and I am separated from my husband.

After that happened he was always asking me to make love to him, but of course I didn’t agree and he was harassing me physically but I talked to him pleasantly and pretended to agree with him but later on, not at that time, but deep inside me I wanted to disappear from that house as soon as possible but I didn’t have any idea how.

The next day sir wanted to give me a sex toy (vibrator) telling me that if I didn’t want to make love with him I could use that but I laughed at him and he asked why you are laughing, you are like a baby! I said sir, I’m laughing at you coz I just can’t believe that a very educated man, an engineer like you, would talk to me this way. Why sir? You have a beautiful wife and wonderful children. How could you do this to them? He said it is normal for everybody! I said no, it’s not normal sir. It is normal if I am your wife but I’m not. From that day I didn’t really know what to do. I didn’t have the number of Saliba agency and if I call them I don’t think they will help me.

My sir told me not to tell anybody, especially madam. If I do that he will send me directly home. But I thought it is better for me to go home than to stay in that house so I decided to tell everything to his wife. I talked to my madam sincerely and told her everything that her husband was doing. But she got angry. She refused to believe me. She said that I am a liar and her husband would not do something like that. But I insisted I told the truth. She told me that I had to pay her $2,500 and she would take me back to the agency. She said she would take me to the jail if I tell the agency because the husband of her sister is a major in police. Or I could just shut my mouth and finish my two years and go home.

I thought that if I insist on the truth, I can’t do anything because I am only a stranger in Lebanon and I don’t know anybody. If they accuse me of stealing something and put me in jail even though I’m innocent I can’t do anything because they have a family member in the police so it is very easy for them.

So I pretended to agree and said ok, I will finish my contract and go back to my country. But they didn’t know that I already made up my mind to find my passport and leave that house as soon as possible. My madam said that she didn’t confront her husband coz he might get very angry with me and maybe he would beat me. I didn’t reply. I only said whatever you want madam but don’t call me a liar coz God knows that I am telling the truth.

So I didn’t stop searching where they put my passport and I always prayed to God to help me find it and help me get away from that place. And he never disappointed me. One day while I was cleaning my madam’s closet I found my passport. That week I kept on praying and asking God a sign if He agrees to what I wanted to do. If He’s with me on my decision of leaving that house, I ask for no rain in that week but if He’s not it will rain. No rain came for the whole week so I decided to run away and I took my passport with me.

I only had 13,000 ($8.5) lira in my pocket because they were not giving my salary in my hand. They sent it directly to my family.

I walked on the street without knowing where to go. But thank God there was a domestic worker on the street and I asked her to help me. She helped me and told me that she was a run away too and was working part time or per hour cleaning in different places. She took me to her room where she rented and let me stay with her and gave me some of her work too so that I could earn money to send to my family back home. That was 2011. I stayed in El Murr house almost one year.

After I left their house I worked and lived undocumented in Lebanon until I left in 2016.

Despite my bad experiences I can’t say that all Lebanese are bad. There are Lebanese who have a good heart too, like those madams who accepted me to work in their homes even though they knew that I was illegal.

THE VIDEO

THE STORY

Sonam Moktan, a Nepali woman, arrived in Lebanon in early 2007 and was sent to work for Boutros (Peter) Bou Younes, of Main Road, Jbeil (Byblos). Her employer was a urology specialist. He also has his own vineyard, Chateau Wadih. Boutros took possession of Sonam and gave her to his unmarried brother, Ghassan, who kept her as his personal slave until 2017. Ghassan lives in Jbeil (Byblos) and imports and sells cars.

During her 10 years In Lebanon, Sonam remitted a mere $4,500 back to Nepal. She says she didn’t return home at all in a decade because her owners didn’t want to send her. She called home rarely – and when she did, it had to be in secrecy when no one was at home. Sonam had no contact with her family for years and did not even know that her father her died in an earthquake in 2015.

“Sonam had no contact with her family for years, and didn’t even know her father had died in an earthquake in 2015.”

Having exhausted all channels for help without any outcome, including official government offices, Sonam’s concerned family turned to This Is Lebanon for help in 2017 after an activist informed them about the organization.

On 21 August 2017 Ghassan told This Is Lebanon that she was working for their elderly mother who lived in the mountains and had no phone. You can listen to him here.

This despite the fact that Boutros had reported her as a runaway to General Security in June. On 6 September 2017, This Is Lebanon wrote to Dr. Boutros asking him to pay Sonam the $33,500 he owed her and repatriate her by 15 October 2017. He read This Is Lebanon’s messages but did not respond.

Below are the two conflicting accounts, one from Sonam’s employers and the other from Sonam’s family.

The Bou Younes’: “Sonam’s fine. She likes to live here. If she didn’t like to live here, she would have already left to Nepal. But she likes it here. She has money and everything. She’s very happy.” They added that she was working for the family’s elderly mother in the mountains, and that she had no phone, so there was no way of contacting her.

Sonam’s family: “There was no contact for so very long. But recently, surprisingly she had contact with her cousin, Nita, who works in Lebanon. Sonam told Nita her owner says her passport is lost and sometimes he says she can’t return back to Nepal.”

The Bou Younes’ alleged that Sonam was so happy working for them that she didn’t want to go home for 10 years, not even after her father died in an earthquake in 2015.

This is Lebanon also contacted Rayes Trading, the recruitment agency, requesting their help. Initially they replied: “I think she is good but I will search (for) her place.” Rayes Trading then stopped responding.

Why do Lebanese slaveholders go unpunished, while their victims go to prison?

In September, 2017 Boutros took Sonam into the Nepali consulate. He didn’t know that This Is Lebanon had arranged to speak to her by phone in Nepali. It was only after Sonam spoke to Dipendra Uprety, This Is Lebanon’s founder, that she started to believe she might be able to return to Nepal. She had been so manipulated and brainwashed that she had believed it was impossible to go home.

After the visit to the consulate, Sonam was held at the General Security Detention Centre in Beirut.

On 25 August, This Is Lebanon was contacted by a former neighbor of Sonam’s in Lebanon (now back in Nepal). Below is the message she sent us. She describes Sonam’s brutal living and working conditions, and alleges that Ghassan Bou Younes had previously sexually abused her. Sonam was always seen wearing the same pair of jeans, day in and day out, and the same pair of boots which she wore throughout the year. The friend notes how Sonam wasn’t able to or didn’t have money to buy sanitary protection. Sonam was so afraid of Ghassan Bou Younes finding out that someone was helping her, that she didn’t even want to accept any of the sanitary protection the friend bought for her. When Sonam finally flew back to Nepal on 26 October 2017, on flight Fly Dubai 160, $900 of the $1000 she had on her were taken from her at Beirut Airport. Many questions remain unanswered: who stole Sonam’s money? Why was she deported without being asked to show the receipts for all the years of her unpaid salary?

THE TIMELINE

Feb 2007

Sonam arrives in Lebanon from Nepal. For the first few years she sends occasional remittances and is in occasional contact with her family. After that, she disappears.

26 April 2009

Sonam remits $400 to her family in Nepal, one of the very few remittances ever to be sent. She signs with her thumbprint as she is illiterate.

April 2015

Massive earthquake in Nepal kills 9,000 people including Sonam’s father. The Bou Younes family tell Sonam that her entire family died.

May 2015

Sanjay, Sonam’s cousin, goes to the consular office in Tripureswar, Nepal, to seek help but receives no assistance.

June 2015

Sanjay goes to the GEFONT (General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions) office to seek help but receives no assistance.

Aug 2015

Sanjay goes to the IOM (International Organisation for Migration) office to seek help but receives no assistance.

Nov 2016

KAFA, a Lebanese NGO assisting victims of abuse and violence, are called into an investigation at General Security. In the presence of only Lebanese, despite the assurances of KAFA that they could help her, Sonam denies any abuse and says she is happy with the Bou Younes family. Boutros reports that her passport is lost and he is negotiating with the Nepali Consulate in Cairo to get her a laissez-passer to allow her to travel.

Throughout

2016

Sujana, a Nepali community leader and activist who was in Lebanon at the time, wrote: “I have all documents of her when I was Lebanon. I search so much. I ask for help from many organizations even I send details to Cairo embassy.”

14 June 2017

Dr. Boutros Bou Younes’ files a report with General Security reporting that Sonam has run away.

21 Aug 2017

This Is Lebanon posts about Sonam on Facebook. Ghassan Bou Younes responds by sending a voice message to This Is Lebanon via WhatsApp saying that Sonam is in the mountains, working for his mother. This directly contradicts the report filed by his brother, Boutros, that Sonam had run away.

25 Aug 2017

This Is Lebanon is contacted by a former neighbor of Sonam’s in Lebanon, who saw the Facebook post and messaged: “That girl is depressed..she doesn’t sleep, she works on everything even washing the cars, cleaning the compound and weeding the garden. We suspect that he sexually abused her, because there was a time she was walking funny. She needs help.” She went on to describe how Sonam’s employer wouldn’t even buy Sonam sanitary towels, and Sonam was so afraid of him that she wouldn’t accept any from the neighbour in case Ghassan Bou Younes found out. She described how Sonam only had a single pair of jeans, which she washed every night, and a pair of boots which she wore every day, including in summer.

5 Sep 2017

The Bou Younes’ bring Sonam into the Nepali Honorary Consulate where Dipendra Uprety (founder of This Is Lebanon) is able to speak to her, via phone, in Nepali (which is not her native language). She tells Dipendra that she is happy and has received her full salary. It is clear that she is afraid and speaking under duress. She has no idea what her salary even is.

6 Sep 2017

This Is Lebanon writes to Boutros Bou Younes, Sonam’s employer, asking him to pay Sonam her salary and compensation for her enslavement. It comes to a total of $33,500.

17 Sep 2017

This is Lebanon posts the clip on Facebook of Sonam’s family begging for her release. Also on this date, the Bou Younes’ once again bring Sonam into the Nepali Honorary Consulate. Dipendra (founder of This Is Lebanon) and his wife, Priya, are able to speak to Sonam and eventually Priya is able to convince her that there is hope for her to return to Nepal.

Between 17 Sep – 26 Oct 2017

Sonam is taken into detention. She does not know where she was held.

26 Oct 2017

Sonam flies home to Nepal. $900 of the $1000 she was given in ‘full and final settlement’ for her 10 years of enforced labour is stolen from her by officials at Beirut International Airport.

26 Oct 2017

This Is Lebanon posts a video from Sonam’s family thanking the This Is Lebanon team for getting her home. They confirm that she only sent about $4500 the whole time she was away (receipts were lost in the earthquake in which Sonam’s father died).

30 Oct 2017

Caritas carry out an ‘investigation’ and conclude that Sonam received her full salary as per police report.

July 2019

The Nepali country leader for This Is Lebanon reports that Sonam is still mentally ill, afraid of police and unable to talk to strangers or hold down a job. The psychological damage is entirely the result of her slavery in Lebanon.

1 Mar

2020

The shame of being unable to provide for her mother during Covid after a decade of enslavement proves too much for Sonam. She takes her own life.

Meet The People

“Dr. Boutros Bou Younes: Slaveholder, Owes $33,500 to Former Worker”

Boutros (Peter) Bou Younes

Line Bou Khalil

Ghassan Bou Younes

Sonam Moktan

COMMENTS

القصة

وصلت “سونام موكتان” إلى لبنان، وهي امرأة من نيبال، في أوائل عام 2007، وأُرسِلت للعمل لدى بطرس (بيتر) بو يونس، على الطريق الرئيسي، جبيل (بيبلوس). كان صاحب العمل أخصائياً في جراحة المسالك البولية. كما أن لديه مزرعة عنب، “شاتو وديع”. استملك بطرس سونام وأعطاها لأخيه غسان العازب الذي اعتبرها عبدته الشخصية حتى عام 2017. يعيش غسان في مدينة جبيل ويعمل في استيراد وبيع السيارات.

خلال السنوات العشر التي قضتها في لبنان، لم تقم سونام بتحويل سوى 4500 دولار فقط إلى نيبال. تقول بأنها لم تعد إلى ديارها البتّة خلال عقد من الزمان لأن أصحاب عملها لم يرغبوا في إرسالها. نادراً ما كانت تتصل بأهلها – ومتى اتصلت، توجّب عليها أن تقوم بذلك سراً أثناء غياب الجميع عن المنزل. لم تتواصل سونام مع عائلتها لسنوات حتى أنها لم تعلم بوفاة والدها في الزلزال عام 2015.

«لم تتواصل سونام مع عائلتها لسنوات حتى أنها لم تعلم بوفاة والدها في الزلزال عام 2015».

وإذ شعرت عائلة سونام بالقلق الشديد، اتصلت بـجمعية “هذا لبنان” عام 2017. كتب ابن عمها: «عندما اتصلت بها قبل شهرين . . أبلغتني أنهم سيعيدونها إلى نيبال. وقد أقنعَتْهم بإرسالها إلى المطار.. لكنهم أخذوها إلى مكان آخر بدلاً من المطار.. والآن عادت إلى ذاك المنزل. أعتقد أنهم نقلوها إلى مكان آخر، وهذا ما يثير قلقنا كثيراً».

«عندما كان يقفل مكتبه ويعود الجميع إلى منازلهم، عندئذ كنا نستحمّ في دورة المياه. بعد ذلك كنا ننام على فراش صغير قديم مليء بالبقّ. كنا نستيقظ في السادسة صباحاً وننظف المكتب والمدخل، ونعود إلى غرفتنا طوال ما تبقّى من اليوم. هذه كانت الطريقة المعتادة في ذلك المكتب. لقد وظّف فتاة إثيوبية كانت تقوم بمراقبتنا. وهي الوحيدة التي بإمكانها التحدث في الغرفة».

في 6 أيلول 2017، كتب “هذا لبنان” إلى الدكتور بطرس طالبين منه أن يدفع لسونام مبلغ 33500 دولار المستحق لها وأن يعيدها إلى بلدها قبل يوم الجمعة 15 تشرين الأول 2017. قرأ رسائل “هذا لبنان” ولم يستجب. رقم هاتف بطرس: 03-407407. وهاتف شقيقه غسان: 03-442223 و 09-942728.

فيما يلي الروايتان المتضاربتان، إحداهما من أصحاب عمل سونام والأخرى من عائلتها.

رواية عائلة بو يونس: «سونام بخير. يطيب لها العيش هنا. لو لم تكن تحب العيش هنا، لكانت قد غادرت إلى نيبال قبل الآن. لكنها تحب البقاء هنا. لديها المال ولا ينقصها شيء. إنها في غاية السعادة». وأضافوا أنها كانت تعمل لدى والدتهم المسنّة في الجبل، وليس لديها هاتف، لذلك لم يكن هناك طريقة للاتصال بها.

عائلة سونام: «لم نتمكن من الاتصال بها لفترة طويلة جداً. لكن المفاجأة أنها تواصلت مؤخراً مع ابنة عمها نيتا التي تعمل في لبنان. أخبرت سونام نيتا أن مستعبدها يقول إن جواز سفرها قد ضاع وأحياناً يقول إنها لا تستطيع العودة إلى نيبال».

زعمت عائلة بطرس أن سونام كانت سعيدة للغاية بالعمل لديهم لدرجة أنها لم ترغب في العودة إلى وطنها طوال 10 سنوات، ولا حتى بعد وفاة والدها من جرّاء زلزال عام 2015. هل كانت في غاية السعادة لدرجة أنها لم تمانع حرمانها من رواتبها منذ عام 2013؟

قام “هذا لبنان” أيضاً بالاتصال بوكالة التوظيف “ريّس للتجارة”، للحصول على المساعدة. فكان ردّه في البداية: «أعتقد أنها بحال جيدة ولكني سأبحث عن مكانها». ثم توقفت وكالة “ريّس للتجارة” عن الاستجابة لعدة طلبات أخرى لتقديم المساعدة.

لماذا يفلت مالكو العبيد اللبنانيون من العقاب، بينما تذهب ضحاياهم إلى السجن؟

في أيلول 2017 أحضر بطرس سونام إلى القنصلية النيبالية. لم يكن يعلم أن “هذا لبنان” قد رتب للتحدث معها عبر الهاتف باللغة النيبالية. ولم تصدّق سونام أن بإمكانها العودة إلى نيبال إلا عندما تحدثت إلينا. لقد تم خداعها وغسيل دماغها حتى كادت أن تفقد صوابها.

بعد ذلك، تم احتجاز سونام في مركز توقيف الأمن العام في بيروت. وبشكل مثير للحيرة، قال غسان في 21 آب 2017 لـ “هذا لبنان” أنها كانت تعمل لدى والدتهم المسنّة التي تسكن في الجبل وأنه ليس لديها هاتف. يمكنك الاستماع إليه هنا. هذا بالرغم من حقيقة أن بطرس بلغ عنها الأمن العام في حزيران بأنها هاربة.

في 25 آب، اتصلت بـ “هذا لبنان” جارة سابقة لـ سونام في لبنان (عادت الآن إلى نيبال). وفيما يلي الرسالة التي بعثتها إلينا. تصف فيها الظروف القاسية لعمل ومعيشة سونام، وتزعم أن غسان بو يونس سبق واعتدى عليها جنسياً. شوهدت سونام دائماً وهي ترتدي الجينز نفسه، يوماً بعد يوم، والحذاء نفسه الذي كانت ترتديه على مدار السنة. تشير هذه الصديقة إلى أن سونام لم تستطع أو لم يكن لديها المال لشراء المناديل الصحية. كانت سونام خائفة للغاية من اكتشاف غسان بو يونس أن هناك من يساعدها، لدرجة أنها لم ترغب حتى في قبول أي مناديل صحية اشترتها لها الصديقة. عندما عادت سونام في آخر المطاف إلى نيبال في 26 تشرين الأول 2017، على متن رحلة “فلاي دبي” 160، سُلِبَ منها 900 دولار من 1000 دولار كانت بحوزتها في مطار بيروت. تبقى العديد من الأسئلة بلا أجوبة: من سرق نقود سونام؟ لماذا تم ترحيلها دون أن يُطلب منها إظهار إيصالات عن كل السنوات التي لم تقبض فيها رواتبها؟

الجدول الزمني

شباط 2007

تصل سونام إلى لبنان قادمة من نيبال. ترسل في السنوات القليلة الأولى حوالات مالية بين الحين والآخر ونادراً ما كانت تتصل بأسرتها. ومن ثم تختفي.

26 نيسان 2009

تقوم سونام بتحويل 400 دولار لعائلتها في نيبال، وهي إحدى التحويلات النادرة التي تم إرسالها على الإطلاق. توقّع ببصمة إبهامها بما أنها أميّة.

نيسان 2015

يقتل زلزال هائل في نيبال 9000 شخص من بينهم والد سونام. أخبرت عائلة بو يونس سونام أن عائلتها بأكملها قد لقوا حتفهم.

أيار 2015

يذهب سانجاي، ابن عم سونام، إلى المكتب القنصلي في تريبوريسوار، نيبال، لطلب المساعدة إلّا أنه لا يتلقّى أية مساعدة.

حزيران 2015

يذهب سانجاي إلى مكتب الاتحاد العام لنقابات العمال النيباليين لطلب المساعدة لكنه لا يتلقى أية مساعدة.

آب 2015

يذهب سانجاي إلى مكتب المنظمة الدولية للهجرة لطلب المساعدة لكنه لا يتلقى أية مساعدة.

تشرين الثاني 2016

يتم استدعاء “كفى”، منظمة لبنانية غير حكومية تساعد ضحايا إساءة المعاملة والعنف،إلى الأمن العام للتحقيق. وبحضور اللبنانيين فقط، وعلى الرغم من تأكيدات منظمة “كفى” بأنهم يستطيعون مساعدتها، إلا أن سونام تنفي أية إساءة معاملة وتقول بأنها سعيدة مع عائلة بو يونس. أفاد بطرس أن جواز سفرها قد ضاع وأنه يتفاوض مع القنصلية النيبالية في القاهرة للحصول على جواز مرور للسماح لها بالسفر.

طيلة عام 2016

كتبت سوجانا، وهي زعيمة وناشطة في الجالية النيبالية وقد كانت في لبنان في تلك الفترة: «لدي جميع الوثائق المختصة بها عندما كنت في لبنان وأبحث كثيراً وأطلب مساعدة كاتا وفيناسول، حتى أنني أرسل معلومات مفصّلة إلى سفارة القاهرة».

14 حزيران 2017

يقدم الدكتور بطرس بو يونس بلاغاً إلى الأمن العام بأن سونام قد هربت.

21 آب 2017

ينشر “هذا لبنان” عن سونام على فيسبوك. يردّ غسان بو يونس بإرسال رسالة صوتية إلى “هذا لبنان” على واتسآب يقول فيها أن سونام في الجبل وتعمل لدى والدته. يمكنكم الاستماع إلى ذلك هنا. يتناقض الأخوان في روايتيهما.

25 آب 2017

تتصل ب “هذا لبنان” جارة سابقة لسونام في لبنان، وتقول: «تلك الفتاة مكتئبة..لا تعرف طعم النوم، تعمل في كل شيء حتى غسيل السيارات وتنظيف المبنى وإزالة الأعشاب الضارة من الحديقة. لدينا شك في أنه اعتدى عليها جنسياً، إذ مرّ وقت كانت أثناءها تمشي بطريقة غريبة. إنها بحاجة إلى المساعدة». ومضت الصديقة لتصف كيف أن صاحب عمل سونام لم يدفع أو يسمح لها بشراء فوط صحية، وكانت سونام خائفة منه لدرجة أنها لم تقبل أي فوط صحية من صديقتها مخافة أن يكتشف غسان بو يونس ذلك. وصفت كيف أن سونام لم يكن لديها سوى بنطال جينز واحد، كانت تغسله كل ليلة، وجزمة كانت ترتديها كل يوم، حتى في الصيف.

5 أيلول 2017

تقوم عائلة بو يونس بإحضار سونام إلى القنصلية الفخرية النيبالية حيث يتمكن “ديبندرا أوبريتي” (مؤسس جمعية “هذا لبنان”) من التحدث إليها على الهاتف باللغة النيبالية (مع أنها ليست لغته الأم). فأخبرت ديبندرا أنها سعيدة وتقبض راتبها بالكامل. من الواضح لديبيندرا أنها خائفة وتتحدث تحت التهديد. حتى أنه ليس لديها أدنى فكرة عن راتبها.

6 أيلول 2017

يكتب “هذا لبنان” إلى بطرس بو يونس، صاحب عمل سونام، يطلبون منه أن يدفع راتبها وتعويضاً عن استعبادها. يصل المبلغ الإجمالي إلى 33500 دولار.

17 أيلول 2017

ينشر “هذا لبنان” على فيسبوك المقطع الذي تتوسل فيه عائلة سونام إطلاق سراحها. وفي اليوم نفسه أيضاً، تُحضر عائلة بو يونس سونام مرة أخرى إلى قنصلية نيبال الفخرية. يتمكن ديبندرا (مؤسس “هذا لبنان”) وزوجته برِييا من التحدث إلى سونام، وفي آخر المطاف تمكنت برييا من إقناعها بأن هناك أملاً في عودتها إلى نيبال.

بين 17 أيلول – 26 تشرين الأول 2017

يتم احتجاز سونام. ولا تعرف مكان احتجازها.

26 تشرين الأول 2017

تعود سونام إلى موطنها نيبال. ويقوم موظفون في مطار بيروت الدولي بسرقة 900 دولار من أصل 1000 دولار حصلت عليها في “عملية تسوية تامة ونهائية” عن 10 سنوات من العمالة القسرية.

26 تشرين الأول 2017

ينشر “هذا لبنان” مقطع فيديو من عائلة سونام يشكرون فيه فريق “هذا لبنان” على عودتها إلى ديارها. ويؤكدون بأنها لم ترسل سوى حوالي 4500 دولار طوال مدة غيابها (لقد فُقِدت الإيصالات في الزلزال الذي لقي فيه والد سونام حتفه).

30 تشرين الأول 2017

تقوم كاريتاس بإجراء “تحقيق” وتخلُص إلى أن سونام قد قبضت راتبها بالكامل وفقاً لتقرير الشرطة.

تموز 2019 إلى الآن

أفاد زعيم الجالية النيبالية لـ “هذا لبنان” أن سونام لم تزل مريضة نفسياً، تخشى الشرطة وغير قادرة على التحدث إلى الغرباء أو حتى الاستمرار بوظيفة. إن هذه الأضرار النفسية تعود بأكملها إلى استعبادها في لبنان

2021

إن العار من عدم قدرتها على إعالة والدتها خلال الكوفيد بعد عقد من الاستعباد يثبت كثيرًا بالنسبة إلى سونام. هي تنهي حياتها

SUPPORT OUR WORK

We depend on your donation to fight for domestic workers in Lebanon.

GIVE NOW

THE STORY

Florence’s employers separated at the end of 2016. Nicolas left M* with a mountain of debt and now lives in London. He works at Noura, a Lebanese restaurant chain. We contacted both M* and Nicolas to try and recover Florence’s unpaid salary. M* blocked us. Nicolas didn’t respond (though saw the messages). M* was paid by the owners of LAU H dorms for the work that Florence did cleaning.

So M* not only didn’t pay Florence but was benefiting financially from the work she was making Florence do. And she’s had a few trips to Dubai since the separation, where she bought new clothes and jewelry.

After much deliberation, This Is Lebanon decided to conceal M’s name as we don’t want to be responsible for tipping her over the edge. She is not without blame, though. She could have taken Florence back to the agency if she could no longer afford to pay her. Instead, she chose to profit from her labour.

Slavery in Lebanon? You better believe it.

What can Florence do to get her salary? It would be nice if she could buy a pair of shoes that fitted after her 3 years in Lebanon.

Here is Florence’s story in her own words:

“I am Florence Njoki Wangari. I arrived in Lebanon on 11 June 2014 at midnight. My employers were a couple with children age 19 and 12. My mister was Nicholas Angelina. My madam is a teacher and she paints. In the first 3 months I asked madam M to send me back to the agency office because I didn’t want to work with her anymore. I was overworked and did not have enough food. She used to insult me, abusing and calling me sharmuta [prostitute]. She told me that if I wanted to go back to Kenya, I had to pay her 5000 dollars.

After 2 years we moved and we stayed in H DORM*, near Lebanese American University (LAU) – dorms for the students. I used to clean the stairs, offices and 10 rooms, and they were very dirty. I remember I didn’t have time to rest or even take lunch. I asked for my salary but she kept telling me it was in the bank. I worked very hard cleaning H DORMS alone. It wasn’t easy work, cleaning and collecting garbage.

Mr Rony and Joseph Hawatt should read this because when they came to check if the dorms were clean they would congratulate me. M please pay my salary. Last June 1 my Dad died and I told M I wanted to pay my last respects at the funeral of my dad.

I remember I was very sick and I couldn’t walk alone. I am sincere. It’s so painful. When I asked for my salary she told me to go to Kenya for the burial then come back again to Lebanon and she would send my money. Unfortunately when I got to Kenya she blocked me and no response from her. She is a devil woman. How could she lie to me knowing the suffering I am facing right now. Please, I need my 3000 dollars. I worked for it. I have too much pain and stress.”.

LAU, when contacted, said H Dorm is not owned or operated by them.

COMMENTS

SUPPORT OUR WORK

We depend on your donation to fight for domestic workers in Lebanon.

GIVE NOW