[ad_1]
Zelda*, 18, fled Nigeria, hoping to find a way to keep her family alive. She owned a hair salon in her hometown and had enjoyed working with hair for the past four years. But due to the unrest in Nigeria, Zelda had no choice but to leave her beloved salon and embark on a journey to Europe.
One day in 2016, Zelda’s best friend paid for her to go to Europe. The friend also arranged a job for Zelda. The young girl thought it made sense to experience Nigeria because she could improve her future. As she planned the steps to get there, she was excited and dreamed of a new life in Europe.
Zelda’s family was worried about her and were not thrilled with the news. They feared something might happen to her while she was being sent to Europe. However, Zelda persevered and wanted to live the life she dreamed of.
Zelda recalled that she had been traveling on the road for more than a month and encountered various difficulties. She sat in the back of the truck under the scorching sun. Zelda said that she was afraid every time she saw her companions who came with her from Nigeria, and the other girls who traveled with them. Zelda saw the exhaustion on their faces. To forget the worries of each of them, they prayed loudly. However, this angered the trafficker and he tried to silence them. She said that it was the worst time of her life.
Zelda first saw Sabha and a week later Tripoli. Soon after, they stumbled upon a boat that would allow the young girl to make her first attempt at crossing the ocean. Zelda had heard stories of people who had successfully made it to Europe and was sure that everything would go according to plan, as she had also heard many success stories of people who had also made the journey to Europe. However, a few hours into the boat ride, the boat broke down and Zelda found herself stranded at sea. Fortunately, Libyan search and rescue crews rescued them and returned them to shore. Zelda said at the time that she was just glad to be alive.
According to the latest maritime update from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 9,000 migrants were repatriated to Libya between January and June 2022. (1) Of these 9,000 people, 656 were women and 342 were children. Once back on shore, they all received direct assistance from IOM as well as support from mental health and psychosocial support teams.
After Zelda’s first attempt to cross the sea to Europe, she was taken back to Tripoli and held for several months until she was hired as a housekeeper by a Libyan family. Her only purpose in finding a job was to save enough money to try again.
Just one year later, Zelda met a Ghanaian gentleman and the two married. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the gentleman lost his job and the couple was on the verge of life and death. Zelda eventually saved enough money to embark on the journey again. Since she had always planned to go to Europe, she convinced her husband to go with her.
Three years later, Zelda found out she was pregnant with her first child. The couple was delighted to have the baby, but unfortunately, Zelda lost the baby at 28 weeks of pregnancy.
Zelda recalled that she felt so lost that she cried herself to sleep every night. Her husband convinced her to try again and she felt the only person she could rely on was her husband.
Later that year, Zelda’s dream of becoming pregnant again came true, and her dream of traveling to Europe began to come true.
The husband was reluctant to let her cross the sea again because he didn’t want to risk losing their child again. However, the wife was determined. She persevered, and in March 2021, the couple attempted the crossing again, praying that God would save them.
Just two days later, as she and her husband were desperate to reach the Italian coast, they were captured by the Libyan Coast Guard and taken back to Tripoli. Once in Tripoli, she met with IOM staff who helped the migrants return to shore but refused to tell them she was pregnant. A few weeks later, Zelda lost the baby.
In 2022, Zelda became pregnant for the third time. During her pregnancy, her Nigerian friends persuaded her to seek help from the IOM. She did so, and IOM staff referred her to an IOM gynecologist. These gynecologists will help expectant mothers prepare for childbirth and provide basic medicines. They are also referred to hospitals for safe births. More than 7,000 migrants have been helped in 2021 alone.
Now, Zelda is 28 weeks pregnant and in stable condition. She is looking forward to her future again. The most important thing for her is to have a baby. What about crossing the sea again? Zelda said she has not decided yet, but time will tell us the answer.
*Names have been changed to protect identities
- https://twitter.com/IOM_Libya/status/1541391392533929984
[ad_2]
Source link
