Story

Morowa, a Ghanaian nurse who thought she was travelling to Lebanon to help build a better life for herself and her family, survived abuse and violence at the hands of her traffickers.

"I was working as a nurse in Ghana when a friend introduced me to a job agent who said he could provide me with a better paying job in Lebanon."
"Because I am the main provider for my family, I decided to accept the offer from the agent. I was thinking about my family's future and things were not going well in my country, I decided to take the risk."
"When I arrived in Lebanon, however, my passport was confiscated, and I was forced to work as a caretaker for an elderly woman without pay. The family I was forced to work for was physically abusing me so I ran away."
"A woman found me on the street and offered me to stay with her. At her home, I was forced into prostitution and threatened to be beaten and taken to the police. The cycle of abuse almost made me lose faith that I would never see my family again."
"Eventually I worked up the courage to escape, and this time I was able to contact an NGO, which put me in touch with IOM's Emergency Victim Assistance Fund (EVA). Once I explained my situation, EVA provided my return flight."
"EVA provided me with reintegration assistance to start a small store to support my family. My dream is to continue my education in the health care field so I can get a better paying job in Ghana. I also want to grow my business."

With support from IOM Ghana through the Emergency Victim Assistance Fund (EVA), funded by the US Department of State Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Morowa was able to return to Ghana, and received reintegration assistance, which is helping her begin to visualize a brighter path forward.

SDG 5 - Gender Equality
SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
 

RELATED STORIES