A Survivor’s Story: The Path to Freedom

My name is Survivor, and I come from Edo State in Nigeria. I lived with my parents, and I am the eldest of eight children. My parents were farmers, and my mother sometimes worked at the market. I went to school up to high school level, and then I had to stop because we had no money. I learned hairdressing and worked in a hairdressing salon.  

One day, a lady came to me to have her hair done. I had never seen her before. I did her hair, and she complimented me on my work, and also my appearance. She said she had a hair salon in France, run by her daughter. She explained that her daughter who worked in this salon planned to take up her studies again. She offered me the job as her replacement because she was looking for someone discreet and modest, with a good appearance.  

Before I left for Europe, they sold me the hope of a better life. They asked me for 35,000 euros, claiming that I would be able to refund it in only six months. I accepted her offer and said goodbye to my family.”  

 
Part of the journey was in Nigeria. I was accompanied by a man who was there, not to protect me but to watch me. We had to hide in a cramped car so no one could see our faces. The heat and the smell was unbearable. It was hard to breathe, and we were very nervous. Then we started to cross the desert.  

We suffered a lot ... I was taken to see a “Juju lady” who performed terrifying rituals and threatened me before my journey started. She told me that I would arrive in Europe in three weeks, but the desert crossing lasted more than a month. I could not contact anyone by phone as I had no signal, and I could not go back because I had already gone too far.  

In Libya, I was subjected to such dreadful treatment that I cannot find words strong enough to describe it. We were like slaves. We were not allowed to make the slightest noise in case it alerted the police. If we spoke, we were beaten; if we complained, we were beaten. These men did what they wanted with us. As we continued our journey to Europe, some men came to get us to take us by bus to the sea. We had to remain silent, not make any noise, and cover our faces. At midnight, they started the motor and we had to jump aboard very quickly. It was dangerous because the waves were very strong and it was very dark. I couldn’t swim so I called out to God, my big Helper, because the water had come right up to my mouth. Suddenly, a hand came out of nowhere and pulled me aboard just as the boat started. It was clear that my Big Helper had stepped in. We had spent a night and a day on the water. It was the end of the day, and the boat was filling with water. We didn’t have life jackets. Some women were burned by the mix of gasoline and sea water. A big ship came toward us; it was the Italian navy who came to save us.  

In the camp in Italy, when I told people that I was planning to work in a hair salon in France and go to school, they made fun of me. That’s when I understood that I had been tricked and that the person who had brought me over wanted me to be a prostitute to refund the debt. Out of fear for the Juju Lady, I agreed to travel to France to join the person who had brought me to Europe. I felt completely trapped and helpless.  

Since I had been fingerprinted in Italy, my pimp put my fingers into some chemical products before my appointment with the immigration office, so they could not identify my fingerprints. The woman beat me and attacked me because I wanted to go back to Italy. She also tore up my Italian identity papers, smashed my phone and destroyed my Italian SIM card. She then took me to an apartment where three other girls were working for her. The other girls who worked for the "Madam" took me to the place where I would have to prostitute myself. One of the girls discussed prices with the client because I didn’t speak French back then. Often, I would get 50 euros from the client. They gave me another name that I used when I was on the street. As soon as I arrived in Nantes, I was told to be suspicious of any people who came to talk to us at night, because they worked with the police. My madam left Nantes because there were a lot of police raids and pimps were arrested. She was afraid of getting caught by the police, but she did not explain why she was leaving. She kicked us out of the apartment, which was in her name. Four of us rented another apartment, because all four of us were controlled by the same woman, but we had to leave the apartment because we couldn’t manage to pay the rent.  

So I contacted a helper who was a pastor and who often came with a lady colleague, to talk to me at night and pray with me. I had already understood that, contrary to what my madam said, they were not enemies. First, they paid for me to stay at a hotel for a week, and after that I was able to stay in a room in a church. I was so happy at the idea that I would never have to work the street again. Each month, I received a small amount of money from the Christian helpers so that I could buy food and clothes. Today, the sky is clearer. I have found a job, thanks to a charity. I have an apartment. I cannot return to Nigeria because my life would be in danger, since I stopped the payments for my debt. I have also received death threats, but I am no longer afraid to walk in the street. I draw my strength to stand tall, thanks to my faith in God. When I start to sing, music gives me new hope. 

 
We have a goal of raising $1,000 to set more women and children, like Survivor, on the pathway to Freedom. Please read this astonishing story and if you feel led to give, you can use the link below