Crowdfunding Campaign: Sponsor a Woman's Journey Out of Modern Slavery
From April to July 2021, we undertook a crowdfunding campaign to support the repatriation of victims of human trafficking from Oman to Sierra Leone. Through the campaign, which was done in collaboration with Rain Collective, we raised nearly $28,000 from 131 donors, which supported the repatriations of 43 women. Below is the contents of the now-archived crowdfunding campaign page.
Background
Most women that we are supporting in this campaign have been subject to forced labor and exploitation, both forms of modern slavery. They hail from Sierra Leone, a nation in sub Saharan Africa with a 64.8% incidence of multidimensional poverty. The women came to Oman seeking economic or educational opportunities, but most were deceived by recruiters and compelled to work in unsafe, often abusive conditions. For many, their health is deteriorating. Others may soon be vulnerable to legal consequences for leaving their employer’s homes. Time is of the essence to get them home.
Here are two of their stories:
Marie is 22 years old. She wanted to work abroad “to push [her] dream forward” and support her two young daughters. Her recruiter said she would be working in a salon. Instead she became a domestic worker for a family of 18, laboring through 19 hour days without pay.
Haja is 28 years old. Her recruiter told her she would be working in Senegal for a week. When her plane landed in Oman, she didn’t know where she was. “What country is this?” she asked. Ultimately, she stayed for over a year.
Marie’s employers routinely coerced her to do the wash outside in the cold. They beat her if she was too sick to work. She asked to leave, but her employers refused. She managed to get out of their house but can’t fund her trip home. Now she lives on the streets in Oman.
Haja’s employer sexually harassed her. When she rebuffed him, the family kicked her out. After sleeping a few nights on the street she was trafficked again: her original employer sold her to a new family. They threatened to prosecute her if she didn’t work for two more years.
But she was determined to get home. Haja advocated bravely for her own release, and donors like you funded her journey home to Sierra Leone, where she is safe with her family today.
But many more women are still waiting.
These women cannot fund their own return trips because most have not received their salaries. COVID-19 testing requirements pose another financial barrier. And in addition, many return home with an abundance of health issues but no money to see a doctor.
As a donor, you will contribute directly to their safe return. Approximately $750 buys one woman’s flight home. $20 gets her from the airport to her home and an extra $100 provides a Soft Landing Kit (a cash stipend for medical treatment and basic necessities upon arrival). 100% of your donation will be used exclusively for getting the women home — we do not use any funds for overhead.
Our sisters have demonstrated incredible resilience — by helping with the final leg of their journey, we can support their efforts.
The campaign is run with the support of the women themselves, organized by Do Bold and Rain Collective. For more information about these organizations, financial accountability, how we prioritize returns, and more, check out our FAQ below.
The true stories we related here have been shared with consent, and some quotes have been edited for clarity. All names have been changed to protect the individuals’ privacy and safety.
Frequently asked questions:
You said these are women victims of human trafficking or modern slavery. What does that mean?
Modern slavery is an umbrella term for legal concepts including forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, slavery, slavery-like practices, and human trafficking. Modern slavery is often used to define an exploitative situation in which a person cannot refuse to work or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power. Modern slavery is present in every industry, and especially affects vulnerable people including women and girls.
Many of the women we are working with are victims of forced domestic work and bonded labour. Forced labour (also forced domestic work) is the most common type of modern slavery, where persons are coerced to work through the use of violence or intimidation, manipulated debt, retention of identity papers or threats of denunciation to immigration authorities. Bonded labour is when a person incurs a debt for their travel expenses or recruitment fee. Employers or recruiters may also charge the person for expenses the former have incurred, bonding the person to the work to cover these fees.
Human trafficking is one of the most common ways to enslave a person. It involves the recruitment, transfer, or receipt of an individual through coercion, abduction, deception, or force to exploit them. In this case, many women were deceived about what type of work they would do and/or the payment that they would receive.
Data, collected from a sample of the women we are supporting, puts this into perspective:
- Deception
- 72% of were deceived about the type of work that they would be doing in Oman
- 22% were not told anything about the type of work they would be doing
- 69% of them were lied to about the salary they would be receiving
- 23% were not told anything about salary,
- 2% of them were told the truth.
- Salary
- 23% of women never received a salary,
- 62% received their salaries intermittently and/or partially,
- 15% of women receive/d their complete salary every month.
- Working Hours
- 62% work/ed more than 14 hours a day
- 18% work/ed between 12 and 14 hours a day.
- None of them receive/d a day off.
What is the legal status of the women in the country?
The women have entered the country on work visas tied to a sponsor, which is the standard under the kafala system. The kafala system is a visa sponsorship system in Jordan, Lebanon, and all the Gulf states except Iraq. Under this system, employers are responsible for the sponsorship of migrant workers and can control their movement and employment. Employers are responsible for visa processing and renewal, but the worker is liable if the employer fails to process or renew the visa. The kafala system also makes it difficult to change jobs without the consent of the employer. This is especially true for domestic migrant workers who are not protected by labour laws. Without the ability to leave, workers are vulnerable to experience exploitative working conditions such as excessive working hours and nonpayment. While many workers under the kafala system are treated well, there is an imbalance of rights and responsibilities in the employer-worker relationship, putting the worker in a disproportionately vulnerable position.
Is the repatriation of these women time sensitive?
Yes, it is time sensitive. Some of the women are very vulnerable and are exposed to different risks; these range from physical harm,sexual abuse and threats, to pressing medical issues that must be rapidly addressed. There is great urgency to support these women to safety.
Also, those that have left their employer and registered for amnesty must leave Oman before June 30th or else face legal consequences. It is illegal for domestic workers to leave (abscond) from their employer, but the Omani Government has offered amnesty to those who left their employers’ homes or overstayed their visas. Workers who registered for amnesty prior to March 31st can leave the country without paying fines or going to court, but only if they leave before June 30th.
Can I sponsor a specific woman?
Your money goes to a central pool, which is then used to repatriate women in descending order of priority based on ability to travel, vulnerability, and other risk factors. When you make your donation, you may choose to receive information about the woman whose trip you’ve contributed to. We aim to create a link between you and the woman you’re supporting, so you’ll have a chance to learn more about her story and send her a message of encouragement. To begin, you can make your donation here.
How do you prioritize returns?
We prioritize returns based on individuals’ vulnerabilities, ability to travel, and other potential risks. While it is imperative for each and every woman in this group—and all migrant workers in similar circumstances—to get safely home, certain women are in conditions that are particularly time-sensitive. Some of the main vulnerabilities that we consider are age, migration status, physical and psychological situation, health, and sexual orientation. We also consider circumstances back in Sierra Leone, such as the health status or death of family members which affect the women.
What happens when the women get back to Sierra Leone?
While life in Sierra Leone will vary among women, they are likely to face serious financial pressures and emotional distress upon return. These are grave challenges, but the women in this group have decided that they would prefer to go home than to continue in their current conditions. By funding their returns, we empower these women to act on their decision to go back—but we aren’t oblivious to the reality. That’s why we have included a Soft Landing Kit as part of the repatriation package: this will provide the women with a doctor’s appointment and basic necessities to facilitate their reintegration upon return to Sierra Leone.
Furthermore, we are in the process of identifying relevant partners in Sierra Leone to provide emotional and psychological support to those who need it. We will also remain in contact with the women that have returned to help mitigate potential revictimization or re exploitation.
How can I continue to support the campaign?
Thank you for your desire to help these women get home. To continue supporting the repatriation project, you can start by sharing our fundraiser. Word of mouth—or word of social media share—is the most powerful tool we have for gathering support. You can also stay up-to-date on this project by subscribing after making a donation and by following us on Instagram at @do.bold and @araincollective.
Can I make a tax-deductible donation?
All donations are tax deductible. When you contribute to the campaign, your donation will be processed by Rescue:Freedom, which is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit in the United States. Rescue:Freedom is the fiscal sponsor for Rain Collective.
How are my donations used?
100% of your donation is used to repatriate a Sierra Leonean worker from Oman. Those we support will be provided with a flight ticket, COVID test, ground transportation and a Soft Landing Kit, which includes money for a doctor’s visit and miscellaneous staples to be purchased on arrival.
What is the specific cost breakdown to send a woman home from Oman?*
- Average flight ticket between Muscat and Freetown: $750USD
- Mandatory COVID test in Sierra Leone upon arrival: $80USD
- Transportation between Lingui Airport and Freetown: $20USD
- Soft Landing Kit: $100USD
What is a Soft Landing Kit?
Our Soft Landing Kit is a small financial stipend for returning women to be able to see a doctor and purchase basic essentials such as a SIM card and food. Most of these women are returning with little or no money, so this financial support will help them restart their lives at the most basic level.
*All amounts provided are in USD based on currency exchange rates as of this writing. Exchange rates fluctuate daily so the costs above will vary depending on the day they are purchased.
Who is organizing this campaign?
The campaign is run with the support of the women themselves, organized by Do Bold and Rain Collective. They have built this campaign in partnership, each organization contributing its unique strengths.
Do Bold is responsible for the repatriation of the women from Oman. This includes identifying whether they are victims of trafficking and/or exploitation, assessing their vulnerabilities and other risks, helping the women to be travel ready by talking to employers and recruiting agencies, as well as helping them register for the amnesty and providing travel documents if needed. Rain Collective is responsible for managing the crowdfunding page, transfer funds to the travel agency, sending money to the travel agency and when required covering the fees for the PCR tests and providing the Soft Landing Kits. Rain Collective will receive and account for tax-deductible donations, and provide thank you letters and receipts.
Who is Do Bold? Who is Rain Collective?
Do Bold is a not-for-profit organization working to advance the rights of all workers. Do Bold’s vision is for all workers to be free, treated equally, empowered through decent work and safe migration, and to have access to remedy and justice. Do Bold has been working in the Gulf region for almost 8 years, previously under the name “Project 189”, focusing on the promotion and protection of domestic workers. Our work consists of identifyng victims of human trafficking and modern slavery and providing support to the community through empowerment, shelter, travel support, and repatriation. Do Bold also focuses on gathering data on human trafficking and modern slavery in the region to understand the potential gaps that allow such issues to thrive, so that we might help prevent them from happening in the first place.
The Rain Collective is creating networks of organizations and experts to fight human trafficking and migrant abuse in the Middle East/North Africa region. The Rain Collective provides subject matter experts in international aid, policy, law, research, and key leaders from institutions with a proven track record of reducing modern slavery around the world. The Rain Collective accomplishes its mission through close relationships with US and Middle East/North Africa policymakers, foreign diplomats, embassy officials, NGOs, and businesses serving the region and source countries.
The Rain Collective’s mission is to disrupt the cycle of exploitation and trafficking in persons in the Middle East and see restoration and/or repatriation of previously trafficked persons through funding efforts that advance policy, planning, and operation of key prevention, victim protection, and sustainable restoration programs. Learn more about Rain Collective here.
What is the role of the Sierra Leonean Government?
Do Bold has been working with the Sierra Leonean Embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in these repatriation efforts (Sierra Leone does not have an official presence in Oman). The embassy has officially visited Oman during these repatriation efforts, and we are coordinating with them to provide travel documents to women whose passport has been withheld by their employers. The embassy has also waived the $100 USD travel document fee for victims of human trafficking.
What is the role of UN agencies in this repatriation process?
The IOM supports the repatriation of migrant workers through their Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVVR) programme. The IOM is aware of these women and we understand that they have been able to repatriate a small number of them. With regard to the repatriation of the 210 women we are currently assisting, the IOM has stated that they will not be able to assist as there is “no presence and no dedicated funding”.