Liberian Literary Magazine
observed I had caught on to
the conversation, asked me
something.
I
didn’t
understand her so turned
and she took her time to
ask me a few questions and
that is how we began
talking.
Stories
Ama, of course it is not
her name, a recent college
grad who had no luck in
landing a job- nothing
strange here. This is the
sad reality of millions of
families. They spend a
fortune on their child/ren
hoping that after acquiring
the
much
hyped
up
education,
their
woes
would vanish. Her parents
and fiancée suggested that
she found a way to get
outside.
They
searched
and
learned about the this
recruitment agency that
wanted recent college
grads
for
overseas
employment. The deal was
decent on paper. The
recruitment office was
cramped with applicants.
On display were photos of
those
that
had
‘successfully’ made the
journey.
They
were
outright
rejecting
candidates that did not
‘fit’ the bill. In short, it
presented a front of
seriousness.
One
that
prized
merit.
Soon,
middlemen
began
appearing and promising
applicants they could get
them past the rigorous
Promoting Liberian literature, Arts and Culture
acceptance process for a
small fee.
Now this may not mean
much but in these our
parts,
anything
that
resembles a meritorious
system frightens many. It is
just hard to come by on this
level, so the fear of the
unknown sets in and folks
that a actually qualified
get spooked. It is not
always, but it happens a
lot. There is also the fear
that
those
who
are
unqualified will storm the
place and pay out for the
spots. It then becomes easy
to sell to an otherwise
qualified candidate the
notion that they already
meet the standards so a
little thing along the way
will not hurt. The logic is
no one seeing that one is
qualified will be able to
turn away the candidate,
not when some ‘cold water
‘ has been presented.
Because of her education,
she was placed with a
French couple in Lebanon.
She landed only to find that
her employer had another
contract that had her
committed for three years.
She presented her version
which was for two years
renewable at the end of
the first. They took her
passport, took her to an
apartment building where
they occupied the 16th
floor. It happened that the
guy married into money.
The wife’s father owned
the building so he gave
7
each of his girls a floor as a
wedding present. He was
wealthy, well placed and
almost untouchable. The
spoiled daughter had a son
who eventually got around
to slapping Ama at will. She
had developed a hearing
impairment in the right ear
which he had slapped a
wee bit too much.
When we met, she had
managed to get out of her
contract a year into it. Her
parents had gone to the
agency and raised hell after
their daughter managed to
use WhatsApp on the son’s
phone. She sent a quick
dire
voice
message.
Instructed them to not
reply but proceed to arrest
the agent. They did just
that. It appeared that did
the trick.
Aquah, recruited as a
Muslim woman who would
be going to a Islamic
nation. She would be
respected as a maiden
preparing to marry. She
could read and write. A
high school grad.
She landed, got her
passport confiscated from
the airport in Saudi. Was
taken to a home where on
the very next night, her
employer, wanted her to
perform sexual favors for
his friends. He was hosting
a party and she did not
have to have sex, at least if
she did anal, she could still
return
home
an
‘untouched’ maiden fit to
be married off.