Trafficked woman does not lose hope for future...
“The woman who suggested going to Dubai promised very good conditions for work and a good salary,” says Mary.
A futile job search and no skills meant looking abroad for work was her only option in order to feed and provide for her children.
According to official statistics the unemployment rate in Georgia is 13.8 %, but opposition parties argue that the real rate is above 50%.
“I was happy that I found the woman who was helping me. I made plans and had high hopes of a better life for my children, “says Mary.
But soon after arriving in Dubai, Mary realised that the hope for a better future was just a remote fantasy.
Soon enough, reality became torture.
Mary realised that the hope for a better future was just a remote fantasy “This woman took my passport and locked me in the room, where I had to serve ten to 12 men every day. The woman would take all of the money and would not allow me to return home,” says a tear-filled Mary.
Mary was beaten up every time she tried to stand up for her rights.
“It was unbearable and I even contemplated suicide”, she says.
The woman would take all of the money and would not allow me to return home After nine months of imprisonment Mary managed to escape without any identification documents or money. One man who Mary met during her captivity helped her to survive and it took her the whole year to return home.
Mary returned to Georgia depressed, destitute and completely void of hope.
“I could not tell anybody about my problems. The life I had to live for the past few years is still torturing me”, says Mary.
“But the desire to bring to justice the woman that destroyed my life and the wish to prevent other women from sharing my fate gave me enough courage to go to the police and tell my story.”
It was then that a member of World Vision Georgia’s Social Assistance to Trafficked Persons project contacted her.
“Mary is the second victim of trafficking that the Special Operations Department (SOD) has referred to us for assistance,” says Teona Kupunia, Human Rights Program Manager for World Vision Georgia.
“This is a very good example of non-government organisation and governmental agency cooperation.”
Mary now lives in an apartment that is rented by World Vision Georgia, since her old apartment is uninhabitable.
Her experience has made living with her children even more precious.
“Talking to people and the ability to share made me much stronger. I know now that I am not alone and these people are here to help me to improve my life”, says Mary.
I know now that I am not alone and these people are here to help me to improve my life World Vision’s Social Assistance to Trafficked Persons project covers Mary’s medical treatment since her health significantly declined during her imprisonment in Dubai. Even with that, the only financial support Mary’s family has is from her mother, whose pension is not enough to meet the needs of a large family. Her children have been spending a great deal of time at the children’s shelter where they are provided with meals.
“I am ashamed that I cannot feed my children at home”, says Mary. “But that’s not going to be for long, since I am now looking for a job here and World Vision is helping me with that.”
World Vision Georgia is now funding vocational training for Mary – a computer course, which she hopes will enable her to secure gainful employment.
The Social Assistance to Trafficked Persons (SATP) project is financed by the Swiss Federal Office for Migration (FOM) and implemented through support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) since 2006 in five regions of the country.
It focuses on providing sustainable assistance to trafficked persons and victims of illegal labour and sexual exploitation.
Thirty social workers have been trained in social assistance to trafficked persons, a hotline for the assistance and referral of victims of trafficking has been established, a university curriculum has been developed, approved and adopted and community assessment research has also been completed within the framework of the project.
-Ends-
A futile job search and no skills meant looking abroad for work was her only option in order to feed and provide for her children.
According to official statistics the unemployment rate in Georgia is 13.8 %, but opposition parties argue that the real rate is above 50%.
“I was happy that I found the woman who was helping me. I made plans and had high hopes of a better life for my children, “says Mary.
But soon after arriving in Dubai, Mary realised that the hope for a better future was just a remote fantasy.
Soon enough, reality became torture.
Mary realised that the hope for a better future was just a remote fantasy “This woman took my passport and locked me in the room, where I had to serve ten to 12 men every day. The woman would take all of the money and would not allow me to return home,” says a tear-filled Mary.
Mary was beaten up every time she tried to stand up for her rights.
“It was unbearable and I even contemplated suicide”, she says.
The woman would take all of the money and would not allow me to return home After nine months of imprisonment Mary managed to escape without any identification documents or money. One man who Mary met during her captivity helped her to survive and it took her the whole year to return home.
Mary returned to Georgia depressed, destitute and completely void of hope.
“I could not tell anybody about my problems. The life I had to live for the past few years is still torturing me”, says Mary.
“But the desire to bring to justice the woman that destroyed my life and the wish to prevent other women from sharing my fate gave me enough courage to go to the police and tell my story.”
It was then that a member of World Vision Georgia’s Social Assistance to Trafficked Persons project contacted her.
“Mary is the second victim of trafficking that the Special Operations Department (SOD) has referred to us for assistance,” says Teona Kupunia, Human Rights Program Manager for World Vision Georgia.
“This is a very good example of non-government organisation and governmental agency cooperation.”
Mary now lives in an apartment that is rented by World Vision Georgia, since her old apartment is uninhabitable.
Her experience has made living with her children even more precious.
“Talking to people and the ability to share made me much stronger. I know now that I am not alone and these people are here to help me to improve my life”, says Mary.
I know now that I am not alone and these people are here to help me to improve my life World Vision’s Social Assistance to Trafficked Persons project covers Mary’s medical treatment since her health significantly declined during her imprisonment in Dubai. Even with that, the only financial support Mary’s family has is from her mother, whose pension is not enough to meet the needs of a large family. Her children have been spending a great deal of time at the children’s shelter where they are provided with meals.
“I am ashamed that I cannot feed my children at home”, says Mary. “But that’s not going to be for long, since I am now looking for a job here and World Vision is helping me with that.”
World Vision Georgia is now funding vocational training for Mary – a computer course, which she hopes will enable her to secure gainful employment.
The Social Assistance to Trafficked Persons (SATP) project is financed by the Swiss Federal Office for Migration (FOM) and implemented through support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) since 2006 in five regions of the country.
It focuses on providing sustainable assistance to trafficked persons and victims of illegal labour and sexual exploitation.
Thirty social workers have been trained in social assistance to trafficked persons, a hotline for the assistance and referral of victims of trafficking has been established, a university curriculum has been developed, approved and adopted and community assessment research has also been completed within the framework of the project.
-Ends-
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