Ayoub Mzee of Ben TV with Elizabeth Kawogo
Top: Elizabeth. Below Elizabeth with Mariam Kilumanga, one of the good samaritans who helped her out from her plight
Story by Freddy Macha, photos by Ayoub Mzee of Ben TV
When the door is opened, Mariam Kilumanga flashes a broad smile. So does one of her teenage children; but then she yells out for the chief guest in her house.
I hear footsteps treading down the stairs; in trepidation. I have read all the court papers, and perused all the claims and counter claims. I have even spoken to the woman herself on the phone and heard the stories.
I have listened to one of my editors and chatted with London's Ben TV presenter and blogger Ayoub Mzee. Yes, the story has all the details: but it does not tally with the person standing before me with tearful eyes and in a green yellow kanga.
I had expected a young and robust 25-year-old. At that age, a woman is ripe, ready and full of zest. I'm in shock that I dare not show. This is not the way Africans look in London. This is Ulaya, a place of dreams for many back home. Or is something wrong with my vision?
Yes, here is someone who has been to hell and back. Elizabeth Kawogo was born in Njombe, Tanzania, 25 years ago. Having dropped out of school because her parents could not afford fees she went to Dar es Salaam in 1997, aged 15, to try her luck in the city.
"I wanted a better life," she says timidly.
Shy, humble, forlorn; I have to strain my ears to hear what she is saying. After having spoken for a while, she refuses to allow me to take her picture. Even when Mariam Kilumanga, her guide and defender, has reassured that her story will help other people in similar (or worse) circumstances; she is still suspicious. Her face should not be shown in the media, she says. I realise this is a frightened woman.
Even though a London labour tribunal declared that her employers, Mr and Mrs Ramzan Dhanji, had discriminated against her and ordered them to pay 58,585 sterling pounds in compensation, she is still not comfortable. Not comfortable to even talk about her future plans.
And the sad thing, according to the grapevine in the Tanzanian community in London, there are many others like her. She is neither the first nor the last, someone whispers, as soon as I mention the case.
The court was told that Elizabeth had been working as a cleaner for Mrs Zainab Alibhai in Dar es Salaam since June 2004.
She then agreed with Mrs Alibhai to go with her to the UK to serve her as a domestic helper and assist her during the period she was to undergo medical treatment in London.
Between June 2006 and May, last year, Elizabeth was turned into a domestic animal, working up to 105 hours a week and sleeping in the most appalling of conditions. The judge reprimanded her employers, saying they should not treat domestic workers the way they do back in Tanzania.
Their defence was that she was a guest of the family and had agreed to work voluntarily. Is that why they did not pay her a single cent? Is that why she had to use toilet paper during her monthly periods, when women require extra sanitation?
Is that why she had no warm clothes during the cold winters? Is that why she was not permitted to eat the good food she cooked for her bosses but instead was given stale bread and leftovers?
No wonder, Elizabeth is so traumatised that she is scared to even have her photograph taken. There is a big lesson here.
It's a lesson for our poor ill-educated people - individuals from remote villages and shantytowns who are often taken for a ride by crafty and powerful people.
Luckily, Elizabeth met people who lent her a hand and liberated this dismayed Njombe woman.
Fortunately, when Elisabeth went to church, she found sympathy in Bertha, who introduced her to Patricia Mzena of TAWA (London's Tanzanian Women Association).
Then with Mariam Kilumanga and with assistance from Mrs Radhia Msuya (then at Tanzania High Commission), she was removed from her tormentors.
Luckily, for Elizabeth, she is now free. But what about the many others still suffering similar ordeals?
Who will hear and bail them out?
The British High Commission in Dar es Salaam?
Who?
Freddy Macha is writer and musician working in the media and entertainment business since 1976.
Freddy Macha is writer and musician working in the media and entertainment business since 1976.
Email: kilimanjaro1967@hotmail.com
Blog: www. freddymacha. blogspot.com
Watch the full interview with Elizabeth Kawogo on THE DIALOGUE program presented by Ayoub mzee on Monday the 18th august 2008 FROM 10AM- 12 noon on BEN TV SKY 194
OR LIVE ON :
Remeber THE DIALOGUE is every monday from 10- 12 noon LIVE or Click the link below for more
http://ayoubmzee.blogspot.com/2008/08/tz.html
Se doesnt look no 25, for me she looks 40.. oh my god .. Wahindi they sooo bad .. hate them for shiz
ReplyDeleteSad story. Hata hivyo, Watanzania wengi sana wanaishi katika mazingira magumu kuliko hayo. Kulima kwa jembe la mkono, kulalia virago katika nyumba za tope na nyasi, maji shida, maradhi ya kila aina, kuomba omba juani, vumbini, umachinga n.k. Maendeleo yetu duni ndiyo sababu kuu. Mafisadi wanagawa rasilimali zetu kama njugu, ili tu wapate cha juu. Fedha zetu nazo wanakula bila hata kunawa. Hata wanapogundulika na ushahidi dhidi yao uko wazi, bado serikali inaunda tume ambazo zinatumia fedha nyingi za walipa kodi bila kuyafanyia kazi yeyote matokeo ya chunguzi zao, huku mafisadi hao wakiendelea kuwa viongozi wetu na kufaidi mali walizowaibia mafukara!!
ReplyDeleteMimi ninauhakika kuna watanzania wengi sana ambao maisha yao huo utumwa wa Kawogo ni cha mtoto! Mpaka Watanzania wenyewe tutakapoamka na kuwachukulia hatua hawa mafisadi ndio kiteleweka!
Mofimo
Ni bora hadithi hii iandikwe kwa Kiswahili ili ipatwe somwa na watu wengi. Inasikitisha na kutia uchungu. Ni utumwa katika karne ya 21. Tafadhalini enyi kina Macha na wengineo iwekeni kwa Kiswahili na ikiwezekana hao waajiri waanikwe hadharani.
ReplyDeleteMbona hamjatufahamisha kinaga ubaga hao Maponjoro wamechukuliwa hatua gani na Hatma ya huyu dada Mtanganyika? Tafadhali tupeni ufahamu ili tuelewe kama haki imetendeka ,nafikiri hao wahindi wana uraia wa Uingereza .
ReplyDeletePole sana Elizabeth. Ingawa nyumbani tuko masikini lakini maisha aliyosihi huyu msichana ni ya kitumwa na pia upweke mno. Hebu fikiria kupelekwa nchi ya watu huna mtu unayemjua na wala kuongea naye wewe kutwa ni kazi tu. Boss bado akutukane yeye na koo yake nzima. Naona huyu msichana hata depression amepata. Hiyo pesa aliyopata bora arudi nyumbani akajenge maisha yake. Hao ponjoro walifikiri wamemkomoa msichana wa watu kumbe mungu alikuwa amemsimamia.
ReplyDeleteKapata mshiko wa nguvu, kule bongo ni zaidi ya million 100.
Mungu ambariki
Moyo wangu ulikuwa umeshaanza kupona kwa kiasi kikubwa kwa jinsi ambavyo hawa wahindi na waarabu wanavyotutendea sisi wazawa hasa katika nchi yetu. Tulikuwa watumwa wa ukolono na sasa bado ni watumwa katika nchi yetu wenyewe ambayo inasemekana kwamba iko huru ingawa huo uhuru wenyewe hauko dhahiri kwa Watanzania walio wengi. Kidonda kilichokuwa kimepona sasa kimetoneshwa tena na hii habari ya huyu mwanadada aliyetendewa mambo ya kinyama na hawa wahindi. Sina lugha ya kuelezea ni kwa jinsi gani chuki iliyojengeka ndani yangu dhidi ya hawa wahindi. Natamani kulipiza kisasi mara dufu lakini utahsi wangu unanimbia kwamba hiyo si njia sahihi ya kutibu unyama na chuki ndani ya mioyo ya hawa wahindi dhidi yetu (Watanzania wazawa). Siku itakuja ambapo watu watachoshwa na vitendo kama hivi na kiisha kuinuka na kuanza kutetea haki zao kwa kutumia nguvu na sio diplomasia. Sielewi viongozi wa nchi yetu wanalichukuliaje hili swala au kwa sababu wao wameshapata uhuru basi wanasahau na kufikiri kwamba wote tunao huo uhuru walio nao au wajua kwamba uhuru bado kwa walio wengi ila wanapuuzia.
ReplyDeleteI feel extremely for this poor lady who was so harshly treated.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that the british embassy in Tz does not investigate thoroughly as to why these ladies are needed to travel - yes there is no problem for them to come to the UK for a holiday, but there should be tracked and monitored as to what the status is after their masters leave.
There are I believe many such ladies working in similar circumstances and perhaps the charity that assisted this poor lady starts identifying such masters and get them to pay their dues.
When the hindu temple in Neasden, in the uk was built they brought their workers from India and were asked to work under indian terms and were paid their dues under the indian wage, the temple was taken to court by the workers and it was held that they should be paid their dues under UK employment terms and conditions ie UK market rates and not the indian ones.
WELL DONE TO THE CHURCH AND ALL THOSE INVOLVED. MAY GOOD BLESS THIS LADY.
AMEEN
MI NAONA HAWA MAPONJOLI TUNAWALEA WENYEWE, KWANI HATA BONGO NI HIVYOHIVYO.
ReplyDeleteKWA UBAGUZI NI NO.1, NANI ALISHAONA CHOTARA WA KIPONJOLI NA MSWAHILI? KAMA WAPO BASI HABA. NANI ALISHAONA PONJOLI KATIKA MISIBA AU HARUSI ZA WASWAHILI.
AFDHALI YA WAARABU KWANI MACHOTARA HAO WAKO WENGI, HASA KULE MASCATI FISI (SHINYANGA) NA VIJIJI VINGINE. PIA TUNASHIRIKIANA NAO ANGALAU.
SERIKALI IINGILIE SWALA LA AJIRA ZA NYUMBANI, KWANI KUNA HATA WASHAHILI WANAWAFANYA HIVYO WATUMISHI WA NYUMBANI/SHAMBANI.
am sure there are similar ladies working under such conditions from east africa hapa in the UK.
ReplyDeletehawa wahinidis from TZ are from khoja communities ama ma banyani .......watafute hau wahindi and advertise them in the UK press - bongolands womens group should go to the local media haraka haraka kwasababu hawa wahindi wa pewe adabu.......
Anonymous namba 2 hapo juu. Comment yako ni nzuri ila ningependa kuongezea au kukurekebisha kidogo. Unajua kuishi maisha ya taabu na kumasikini ukiwa ugenini ni tofauti na kuishi maisha ya aina hiyohiyo ukiwa nyumbani kwenu. Nyumbani ni nyumbani na ugenini ni ugenini.
ReplyDeleteAs an Muhidi myself, I feel bad and remember all wahindis are not same just as your five fingers are not same...I feel terrible for the Lady and I wish I could give her 4 years of life back which she lost working for the dogs (indian Family)
ReplyDeletePOLE SANA