Lagos-based fashion designer Mrs. Shakirat Tijani shared with The Punch correspondent how personal and domestic struggles led her to take up work as a house help and caregiver in Iraq.
When asked whether her agent had briefed her about the situation in Iraq before her departure, Tijani explained that she only received some information after expressing concerns about what she had heard from others.
She learned that Iraq had experienced prolonged periods of conflict and bombings. Many people warned her that she might not survive the conditions there and questioned whether it was safe for her to go.
Despite the warnings, Tijani conducted her own research and decided to proceed. She recalled that her agent emphasised that the decision to travel was hers alone and not obligatory, but for her, leaving Nigeria seemed like the simplest option given her circumstances.
She recounted that her connection with the agent came around the time a controversial viral video was circulating online, which eventually led the agent to inform her of legitimate job opportunities abroad.
Tijani also explained that agents sometimes sponsored workers based on contracts, with arrangements in which the agent would recoup payments from salaries earned in the host country. She noted that in Iraq, the recovery period was shorter; between four to six months; compared to other locations like Cairo.
On whether the agent covered her expenses to Iraq, Tijani confirmed that once an agreement was reached, her agent assumed responsibility for all related costs.
Further talking, she said, “Although there were conditions attached to the contract. For me, my agent told me I would pay her my first four months’ salary. Then, there was no chance of having a boyfriend, let alone getting married. There won’t be sex for those two years.”
“It was a two-year contract job, which means one can come back to Nigeria or renew it after that period. One would work, and stay with one’s boss. I was determined to do it.
“My daughter was still small at that time, so I left her with my mother. I wasn’t bothered about having s£x because making money was on my mind.” View, More,
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