Citizen Outreach Coalition
A charity that thinks globally but acts locally Service and Leadership
Our ref. 0020/08/2020 03 August 2020
PRESS RELEASE
Subject: Help repatriate trafficked Sierra Leone girls
UK based charity Citizen Outreach Coalition is urgently appealing to Sierra Leone President Hon Julius Maada Bio., First Lady Fatima Maada Bio and the government of Sierra Leone to help in the repatriation of 34 Sierra Leone girls, mostly domestic workers, trapped in Lebanon
The girls ranging in ages from 17 to 45 had been in the Middle Eastern country for up to two years and now face a double whammy of economic collapse of Lebanon and the COVID-19 pandemic. Lebanon re-imposed lockdown measures last Monday July 27 2020 coinciding with the Eid at-Adha holiday when Muslims normally hold large gatherings after a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases. These two issues were used as cover by some of their employers who kicked them out of their domestic servant roles where they received between S150-$300 for working sometimes for twenty hours a day. Some ran away following the psychological, physical and sexual violence they faced at work.
The girls were only saved through the benevolence of French/Thai photographer Aline Deschamps. She met them while writing a story on the effects of COVID-19 on domestic workers in Lebanon. Lucy Turay 27, a teacher who ended up doing domestic work in Lebanon wrote a sad ballad about their plight which has been posted on youtube. Aline helped fun raise money for their rents, medical and other bills and has raised less than
$4000 of the S50000 it will take to repatriate the girls to Sierra Leone. This fundraising goal may never be reached which is why we appeal directly to the government of Sierra Leone to intervene and return the girls home.
When the girls contacted the Sierra Leone consulate in Beirut for help, Consul Officials called the police on them.
140 Gloucester Road htorth. Liverpool
[64DT.
United Kingdom.
Tel 00441512603278
Charity No 1175281
Email. [email protected]. Website. www.citizenoutreachcoalition.com. Charity No 1175281
The girls are now appealing for the government of their home country to repatriate them back home for humanitarian reasons
For more information and possible interviews please contact:
Aline Deschamps: [email protected]
Lucy Turay 0023299982860
Link to Youtube song by the girls:
Link to fundraiser to repatriate the girls:
https://fundrazr.com/relief_domesticworkers_lebanon?ref=ab_9sXs7d0kOAK9sXs7d0kOAK
Read our full blog story here:
Francis Niba on behalf of Citizen Outreach Coalition