The Eye Newspaper: Situation of Most Cameroonians in Kuwait: HIM Urges Gov't to Investigate

Monday, July 20, 2015

Situation of Most Cameroonians in Kuwait: HIM Urges Gov't to Investigate

PRESS RELEASE

SITUATION OF MOST CAMEROONIANS IN KUWAIT

The Hinterlands International Missions (HIM) is a service Common Initiative Group (SCIG) legally registered. Our Cameroon office is located in Mile 16 behind BOCOM Petrol Station at the Bulu Blind entrance from the Main Road. The number to the office is +237 243771635or +237 676703783 or +237 693492050. Our Website is www.himissions.org You can fine us on facebook atwww.facebook.com/himissions

The purpose of HIM is to reach the unreached in a holistic way. Our goal is to empower people economically, socially and spiritually. We also seek to promote the respect of human and civil rights. We believe Christianity is unbalanced if emphases is made only in the spiritual aspect. In HIM we believe that Christians can play a significant role in community development and nation building. God wants Christians to take an active role in their communities for the better, to fight poverty, and suffering. The bible says “Ye are the light of the world” “Ye are the salt of the world.”

It is against that backdrop that HIM joins the government in community development and nation building by enabling Cameroonians who wish to exploit other opportunities to travel to many countries the world over. At little or no cost.

OUR WORK, JOURNEY TO KUWAIT AND THEIR LABOUR LAW

Let it be clear that HIM is not an employer. HIM simply links the applicants and job seekers to employers in Kuwait and other countries. The employment Agency with which we partner is a legal and named the Hasan Sayed Husain Mahdi Sayed Ali Est. The physical address of the office is Hawalli Tunis St. Nasser al Rumaih, Comp No. 31, Kuwait. The employers of these workers known as sponsors are the ones who actually sponsor applicants by paying for their visas and air ticket to come to Kuwait to work for them for a given period of time. If they fail to work for that period of time they will be required to refund the money disbursed for their journey. Again if a worker wants to leave a house where she/he was originally recruited because they do not like working there for one reason or the other, they will be moved to another employer who will now refund the money of the first one, as long as the worker is willing to go to another home. If a worker says they wish to go back to their home country because of one reason or the other, he or she will be required to refund the money that the sponsor spent for air ticket, visa and the employment agency. When the worker or employee be it from what nationality fails to respect the terms of the contract, he or she might run into trouble. This is part of the Kuwait labour law.

There are situations that these workers might fail their medical exams while in Kuwait and would need to return home. In this case the employment agency will be the one to refund the money of the sponsor. This charge is not put on the workers who have to return to their country. Let it go on record that HIM has paid up to $10000 dollars to help repatriate five Cameroonian workers who were not deem medically fit or because of misconduct, for example theft.

HIM’s ASSISTANCE TO CAMEROONIANS

Since February 2015 when, HIM began assisting Cameroonians and Africans to travel to Kuwait, we have been able to secure employment for male and female nurses and mechanics. Some girls who have traveled through our organization to in the case of Kuwait serve as maids because of the religious and cultural beliefs of the people. HIM gives them all kinds of jobs, based on their availability.

HIM only charges 150,000 FRS CFA for those who wish to travel. This amount has to be paid directly to our office not by any agent but by the applicant. The money is used for the applicant’s medical exams and other traveling formalities. The employment agency in

Kuwait is responsible for their visa and air ticket. Any contrary story to what we do is false. If anyone is charging more than the above amount, just be informed that the person is not from our organization.

FALSE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST HIM

For the past weeks, HIM has been criticized and accused of allegedly practicing human trafficking and smuggling and for sending girls to Kuwait to do prostitution or slavery. The matter was fueled by some media houses which HIM considers not too responsible and unpatriotic. The said media fueled panic in the country after calling our office in the absence of the CEO and making sweeping statements and unfounded accusations. The campaign against HIM’s CEO and the organization went viral once the CEO, on behalf of my organization, the only visible agency in Cameroon, came out to clarify how HIM was operating within the ambit of the law and was not involved in whatever crime.

HIM therefor wishes to state the following:

1. HIM has very good relationship with the Employment Agency in Kuwait and a good record of the workers who go there. HIM knows their whereabouts.

2. All of our girls are in communication with their friends and family back at home using social media or other form of communication

3. None of the girls HIM has assisted to travel to Kuwait is doing Prostitution or Slavery.

4. All of the people that went to Kuwait through HIM are all adults and made their decision to travel. They signed to acknowledge understanding of the entire process.

5. All the workers HIM sent to Kuwait knew exactly what they were going there to do.

6. Everyone we sent to Kuwait knew that they were going to Kuwait and could be contacted.

However HIM has cases of Cameroonians who traveled with its assistance and later ran away or had better opportunities. In the first instance, the lady refused to work because she does not have the strength to. The Employment Agency wants her to repay the money spent for her trip. She changed her work place three times and finally escaped and is reportedly living with her friend. HIM is negotiating with the employer to drop charges against her and going for an amicable settlement for her to return home. In one other case where a lady had to return to Cameroon because she passed a concours or public exams, HIM accepted part payment (reimbursement) from the family and paid the full amount to the employment agency to allow the girl to travel. Those are some of the efforts HIM is making to ensure that anyone it assists to travel, finds it easy in Kuwait. Him has all documentation of its activities that would be presented to the appropriate quarters when need arises.

LET GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATE

Following attempts at tarnishing the image of the organization, HIM is appealing the government to fully investigate the activities of HIM in relation to the numerous false stories that have been narrated against the organization. HIM also wants the Government of Cameroon, International Rights Organizations, journalists and whosoever wants to, to carry out their investigations about entities or individuals which claim to work like HIM but have been sending Cameroonians to go through untold pain in Kuwait or other countries. HIM is challenging anyone who was assisted to travel, faced difficulty and HIM did not intervene to come public.

HIM wants the public to know that it has only one official office in Buea as explained above. HIM is working on getting other offices in Yaoundé and Bamenda. At the moment every applicant must go through out office in Buea. HIM is warning users not accept anyone who says he/she will do everything for them. HIM has only one hospital from which medical tests are to be carried out and specialized doctors to that effect, anyone who does not follow the procedures set by HIM should not soil her name if robbed or dubbed by unidentified individuals. HIM pledges to collaborate with the government of Cameroon and Kuwait to ensure that each Cameroonian who travels with the assistance of HIM receives a better and human treatment. HIM however, reserves the right to take court action against any individual or entity which makes attempts at soiling its name.

President/CEO