Mrs Odigie Osayomore Chinenye is one of the many Nigerian women who travelled to Italy for greener pasture but had to embrace prostitution to survive or face torture. She, however, found her way back home and shares her experience with Daily Trust Saturdy.
Mrs Chinenye, now mother of four, travelled to Italy in 2017 with the hope of conquering poverty and giving her children a befitting life but returned in 2018 to acknowledge that the grass is greener in Nigeria.
She said though she is not yet where she wants to be but she is far better than when she travelled to Italy.
The 37-year-old said she was deceived into embarking on the journey to Italy with a promise of a white-collar job but unfortunately, many of them were forced into prostitution.
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Today, Mrs Chinenye is now an expert in all kinds of shoes and bags among others and also supporting her family.
Speaking with Daily Trust Saturday at their Creative Thinker Multipurpose Cooperative office, Mrs Chinenye said she regrets going to Europe because she has found the greener pasture she pursued to Italy in Nigeria.
The Mass communication graduate of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, said she abandoned her two kids and husband in Nigeria due to fear of poverty and to seek a better life for her family.
“The reason I left for Italy was that I wanted a better future for my husband and children. I didn’t inform my husband of the journey because I knew he wouldn’t allow me to travel. I only told my friend who warned me not to fall for fake life in Europe.
“We were many on the trip and with what we were told, I thought I was travelling through legal means because we didn’t embark on the journey to Italy through the Sahara Desert and Libya but by air.
“We were told that when we get to Italy, we would pay whatever they used to sponsor us after we had started working. They told us work was waiting for us there.”
She said the thought of travelling by plane gave her the hope that the movement was genuine, and being a graduate, she wouldn’t be subjected to inhumane treatment like prostitution.
“They prepared our passports. I packed my certificates and embarked on the journey without telling anybody including my husband and my mother-in-law.
“My last baby was six-months-old when I left. I left my children for my caring mother-in-law and my husband.
“We arrived Lagos and boarded a plane to Italy, we were happy because we thought we had escaped poverty. But when we arrived in Italy, it dawned on us that what we were tricked into embarking on the journey of suffering.
“Immediately we got to Amafi Coast in Italy, we were all caged. They seized all our documents and other things that could enable us contact Nigeria, and we were at the beck and call of our sponsor who brought us for prostitution.”
She said, “I was caught in the middle of accepting prostitution or continue to face maltreatment. My plan was to work with my certificate; prostitution was never an option.
“As I was thinking of what to do and how to get out of the ugly situation, one man (Mr James), who is the right-hand man of Adolphus who allegedly sponsors girls to Italy for prostitution, said he had an interest in me and that he would keep me for himself.
“Even when I told him I was married and that I didn’t come for prostitution, he said he likes me being married. So, I had to choose between having many men on daily basis or being with only him and I chose the later.”
She told Daily Trust Saturday that her travelling to Italy and returning back to Nigeria was within 10 months.
“After sometime, they had other girls moved to Canada for the same purpose and James was to take them to Canada. As he was going, he said he couldn’t leave me in Italy with his master because he didn’t know what would happen to me before he comes back.”
“He arranged with his uncle in Lagos so that I could stay for the period he would spend in Canada and he would come to pick me while going back to Italy. He gave me his uncle’s number and told me he didn’t want his master to use me for the job he is using other girls for and from that moment, I started discussing with his uncle.
“He bought tickets for me and put me on the airplane to Lagos. I was happy when I entered the airplane because I knew I was leaving for good. His uncle was in touch with me but deep in my mind, I knew that I won’t see him.
“Immediately I arrived Lagos, I didn’t call his uncle but removed my SIM card with other things that could make James and his uncle contact me and destroyed them.”
She said she borrowed someone’s phone to contact her cousin who lives in Lagos to come to her rescue because she had no money on her.
“My cousin wanted to skin me alive for leaving a little baby for Italy. My husband was also furious but we later reconciled with the help of my mother-in-law who became my real mother. With their help and support, I discovered myself in Nigeria.”
‘How I picked up life in Nigeria’
On getting to Benin, I went to my friend – a Libya returnee who advised me against embarking on the journey.
She told me that ActionAid and GIZ were doing something for returnees and that I should follow her to the place.
“We were trained for three months and today, I am an expert in bags and shoe making. I wear the shoe and bag I make myself and it is putting food on our table.”
Though the period of training was short but we were able to cope. After the three months training, ActionAid grouped us into cooperative of 20 persons and I am the vice president of my cooperative.”
She explained that to be perfect in the job, she and her president of the cooperative went to Edo Innovation Hub to learn how to make canvass and boot, adding that she can make any kind of shoe now.
“We didn’t pay for the training. we were trained, a shop was rented, equipment were bougled and a sum of N650,000 put in our cooperative account and three persons made signatories to the account.”
She said “though I am not where I want to be but I am better compared to where I was before I travelled to Italy.”
She said they decided to get a shop close to the market and schools so as to get ready buyers for their products.
She said her plan was to get her own shop in future while still working with the cooperative group.
“To make the work easy for us, we divided ourselves into groups of five and we alternate the days we come to work, so that everyone would have a place to work. On my off days, I work at home.”
She said to ensure uniformity in their work, each group documents every work they do so that other groups coming can take over from there.
By the time we upgrade. I can pull out of the group to start my own or still work with them while also operating my own shop.”
Products and prices
Chinenye said they make school bags, ladies hand bag, souvenir bag, hand fan with fabric, throw pillows, sandals, school shoes, palm slippers, corporate shoes, canvass and sneakers.
“Souvenir bags cost between N300 and N500 depending on the quality; ladies hand bag between N3,500 and N10 000; children’s school bag N2500 and N3500; adult school bag N4500 and N8,000; laptop bags N8,000 and above; Corporate shoe N22,000; sneakers N10 000; canvass N15,000; palm slippers N7,000; sandals between N8,000 and N10,000.
“I regret going to Italy because this work is putting food on our table and also helping my family. My husband and my mother-in-law are my pillars.”
She said she was not allowed to take her documents while coming back to Nigeria and that she had to go to her school to get another done so that she can prove that she is a graduate.
She, however, advised youths and young girls that what they are looking for overseas is here in Nigeria.
“My advice to youths is to pray to God to guide them and to know their purpose in life. Once God helps you, you would meet a destiny helper here in Nigeria and you can travel legally.”
She commended ActionAid, GIZ and Edo State innovation centre for giving her the opportunity to learn a trade which she said is putting food on her table.
She, however, listed the challenges to include electricity as well as the cost of fuelling generators with the removal of fuel subsidy.
