The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 500 girls leave Uganda each day for domestic work in the Arab World, an official from the Internal Affairs Ministry has revealed.
Agnes Igoye, the Deputy Coordinator for Prevention of Trafficking in Persons in the Internal Affairs Ministry, says that although several male youths are also leaving for jobs in the Middle East, the biggest number of people leaving for domestic work comprises females aged between 24 and 35 years of age.
She says that records from the Immigrations department at Entebbe Internal Airport show that, 500 youths majorly girls sign off to travel for domestic work in countries such as Saud Arabia, Jordan and Qatar. This means that over 15,000 girls are leaving Uganda every month for domestic work in the Arab world.
This translates to 180,000 mostly women leaving the country every year in search of employment. However, Igoye says the 500 youths are those who are exported through recognized external Labour recruitment agencies. She says that many youths are being trafficked by unscrupulous Labour exporters.
There are 216 licensed Labour export companies in Uganda. However, the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development has since banned eight Labour export companies citing numerous complaints by the foreign labourers.
Ramathan Ggoobi, a renowned economist, says the number of young people leaving Uganda for ‘mean’ domestic jobs is an indictment on the government and Uganda at large for failure to create gainful employment for its young population.
Ggoobi says that many of his former students who performed very well at university in courses such as statistics, procurement and logistics, business and commerce have opted for mean jobs in the Middle East for lack of opportunity.
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How many flights (i.e. seats, or passengers or capacity) are there out of Entebbe per day? To fly out these girls? Now with lockdown?
Also tell us, how many return per day? It is not one way traffic.
I have already flown three times to and out of Uganda this year. Out of Uganda- the majority of the passengers are these girls. To- I don’t see this type of passengers at all. I used Ethiopian Airlines. But I saw in the airport that these girls fly also with other companies.
Getting a job in uganda has become a war. We hv 23 year old s fighting for jobs with 75 years-who in more modern countries should hv retired years ago. Its very sad but a reality. Currently there seems to be no difference between an educated and a uneducated youth, we all seem to be fighting for the same jobs. One wonders if its worth going to school anymore taking into consideration the exorbitant cost involved.
Someone needs to wake up n think for this country.
Very sad indeed to hear and see what’s going on in the country referred to as a “Pearl of Africa” that has been reduced to modern type of slavery in search of piece jobs. That number of young people leaving the country is too much to be ignored. Something serious must be done ASAP otherwise it’ll run the country to a deaden of development and progress.
One of the hopeless things that Uganda as a country needs to stop doing is to politicis it’s developmental projects/programs… And start seeing the country as one with one main goal of development. The government stakeholders and all the politicians must stop downgrading the country and start focusing on the developmental aspects of it. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH…
People are too tribalistic in the country to the extent that one can bearly think of bringing anything developmental or projects in the country and survive the system in place. Let alone those of us who are outside the country but the very people who are in the country and in the system have stopped developing but only busy biting on each other.
Politicians together with the central government must have a common ground which is developing Uganda and fellow Ugandans. Not crushing each other down. Doing things that can create jobs for the youth and eventually boost the economy of the country.
Uganda still has a long way to go when it comes to real development and progress as a nation. With all it’s potentials and God given resources people are still very selfish and completely self-centered in every section of governance.
You hardly find a government leader with the a true spirit of getting the country out of her poverty and shame… Including nongovernmental organizations people are still drunk in the spirit of corruption and selfishness, and one would wonder where are we driving the country to exactly?
Uganda still has got many of her seeds in the diaspora who not poor but very wealthy and these could do great developments back at home in Uganda but you hardly convince them to do so just because of what’s going on back at home in Uganda. There has to be a safe environment and conducive ground in place before anyone could think of bringing his/her wealths back home.
Why would I take my one cow back at home when I know very well that it will be chawed by some wild animals… So I either keep it next to where I am where I live or hide it somewhere very far in another part of the earth in hope that one day the wild beasts may change or die then I can peacefully take my cow home and keep it safe…
Sometimes I read things in the news and wonders if at all some of these policy makers and leaders have got a heart in them for their country?
Another silly thing that I’ve seen under the sun in Uganda is that when you are a Ugandan who in a diaspora wanting to bring some development back home in Uganda you must pray very hard to get that deal through… Something very stupid is going on… That once these top guys discovers that the development or the said project is coming through you “a fellow Ugandan” they will either sabotage it or just don’t endorse it. But if it’s from a none Ugandan or a foreign National like Chinese or any they will quickly forward it to the president for approval and so forth… Leaving you outside who had the real feeling for your country and people. And at certain point you find that the foreign Nationals they are endorsing has got nothing in their Bank Account but only seeking for papers then afterwards seek for a loan from the very government officials for the same project and they give them. Then you wonder who’s really stupid here…??? I’ve realized that these so-called developers or Investors injects cash to these officials that’s why you who’s with the funds and the burden for your country are never welcomed simply because you won’t give them whatever kick back they will demand from you… CORRUPTION OF A HIGHER LEVEL.
Sometimes I even lough to myself when I read at certain articles about Uganda asking for a loan for certain developmental project and you see the amount as small as $10 million dollars or $35 million dollars loan… The whole country, that can not help itself even with such a very little amount of money and you wonder… Who’s who in hell here… Leaders needs to stop looting Uganda and rather start making her great. BUT ONE DAY IS ONE DAY… UGANDA SHALL ARISE ABOVE ALL THIS WICKEDNESS.
Please change and start seeing and treating Uganda as your very own and not as a place to enrich your little Bank Account overseas. Make Uganda create and be proud to be a Ugandan. Build her up not tiring her into pieces every year. PEOPLE MUST CHANGE IN THAT COUNTRY OTHERWISE WE WON’T SEE IT’S GOODNESS AS WE AUGHT TO.
I love 💕 Uganda so much but people are destroying this wonderful country for their own self ambitions and utter stupidity. Please save Uganda and her God given resources. IF YOU THE LEADERS DON’T LIKE TO CHANGE, AND MAKE UGANDA GREAT, GOD HIMSELF WILL ONE DAY INTRODUCE A CHANGE IN UGANDA THAT WILL SHOCK EVERYONE…
MAY GOD BLESS UGANDA.
Hello Dr Emmanuel, you have interesting views on this topic, do you mind if I interview you for my podcast?
This is my email fionagonza2@gmail.com
Thank you so much for stretching this point. well said!! Our motherland is soon facing a problem of brain drain because its we the energetic “youth” that are looking for opportunities abroad. I couldn’t sit Uganda with my Accounting skills, no job yet so many opportunities here with a better pay even.
you have been awarded, seriously U can write.jesus ,it will change nothing.
I would like to warn youth Ugandans…at Middle East countries if you are from Africa-you automatically fall in “servants” category….especially girls are in danger…believe me…am working in middlee East country!!!
Do you mind speaking to me on my podcast?
The experience, qualifications for big jobs, hmmm!! They Make sure that youths don’t fit in …these days even age is included in qualifications and sure jobs can only be attained by age that needs to be retiring… Then outhers practice sectarianism, if you don’t belong to a certain group you can’t get a job… Hmmm … That even on the lowest positions.. But with an excuse they are protecting their own as they can also survive.. But saying that industries are being created to employ the youth …hmmmm!!