Homecoming Queen
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| Source: Kuwaitup2date |
The
holiday season is a time of returning to the comfort, security & familiarity
of home. Of being wrapped in the warm embrace of family & friends. However,
for some homecoming is an unaffordable luxury.
Every year several Indians shift abroad for
work in search of a better life. Poverty & a limited skillset forces a majority
to take up jobs as maids & labourers in Middle Eastern countries. While
some of them have been at it since decades, others who have a hard time adjusting
or are mistreated by sponsor families turn to Shaheen Sayyed.
A
woman with kind eyes & a voice reflective of grit aptly describes
Sayyed. An NRI residing in Kuwait, she
has been alleviating the plight of Indian maids & labourers for over 22
years.
Several
such workers want to return home but have little or no guidance. Sayyed decided
to put her education to good use & help them out. So much so that her
family retorts, “Jab tak aap 2-4 logo ko
help nahi karti tab tak aapka khana hazam nahi hota.’’ Your food does not get
digested unless you help people daily.
Sayyed
simplifies the recruitment process, “Maids
are employed on contracts. To work abroad an Indian maid approaches an agent.
Similarly, the sponsor family approaches the maid association. A majority of
maids’ hail from Andhra Pradesh & Punjab.’’ During the initial months, maids
go through a lot of learning & unlearning. They pick up basic phrases of the
new language, unlearn their previous work ethic only to replace it with a new
one. In Middle Eastern countries, maids work in massive homes in posh localities.
Sayyed says, “Within six months most of the maids get accustomed to the new
country.’’ For those that find it hard to adjust & want to return to India,
Sayyed offers help.
The
process of sending a maid home is risky & time-consuming. From reaching out
to the embassy & constantly following up to ensuring they get shelter &
food during this period to staying in touch with them till they reach India,
Sayyed supports them through the entire process. She tries to strike a balance
between the sponsor & maid to benefit both parties. Sayyed discourages
maids from running away. “Once these maids are taken abroad on a Kadama visa
they cannot switch their profession even if they are unhappy. If they do so
& are caught they are at a risk of being deported to India,’’ she says.
To
her each case is unique & memorable. After the Karafi case, she uses social
media actively to garner support for these workers & help individuals reach
out to her easily.
The
Japanese believe that one of the secrets to a long & fulfilling life is to
have an ikigai or purpose that drives
people to get out of bed each morning, Shaheen Sayyed has found hers in helping
those in need. By bringing them back home. She is truly their homecoming queen.
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| In pic: Shaheen Sayyed Source: Facebook |
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