A Kenyan househelp, Joy, has died in Saudi Arabia under circumstances that have left her loved ones devastated. According to a video captured by her employer, Joy was playing football with a young boy inside the house when she suddenly collapsed to the floor. Doctors reportedly attributed her death to a heart attack. The incident has sent shockwaves through the Kenyan diaspora community in Saudi Arabia.
Joy's best friend, Ruth Kerubo, a Kenyan woman also working in Saudi Arabia, has come forward to share the painful details of their last exchange. The two spoke only hours before Joy's death, and their final conversation was as ordinary as it was heartbreaking. Joy had texted Kerubo asking which app to use to order sneakers, and Kerubo replied, not knowing that Joy would die shortly after.
Kerubo noted that looking back at the video, it appears Joy was not feeling well even as she pushed through the game with the child. "In the video, you can tell Joy is not feeling okay. She was pushing herself and kept on playing with the child, and now she is dead. She kept going until she took her last breath," Kerubo said through tears.
Kerubo's account has put a deeply personal face on the very real dangers that migrant domestic workers can face far from home. Joy's death has cast a shadow over the Kenyan diaspora community in Saudi Arabia, with many left wondering how her death could have been prevented. The incident has also raised concerns about the working conditions and healthcare available to migrant workers in Saudi Arabia.
Beyond mourning her friend, Kerubo took the opportunity to appeal to Kenyans working as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia. She urged them to speak up whenever they feel unwell and not to suffer in silence out of fear or obligation. Kerubo also reminded workers that they are not entirely without options if an employer refuses to seek medical help on their behalf.
According to Kerubo, calling emergency services directly is always a viable step, and workers should not hesitate to use that avenue when their health is at risk. This advice comes as a timely reminder to migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, who may face challenges in accessing medical care or reporting mistreatment by their employers.
The incident is not an isolated case, as reports of mistreatment of Kenyan migrant workers in Saudi Arabia have been documented. Recently, a Kiambu mother of three, Joyce Wangari Mungoya, died in Saudi Arabia after allegedly being mistreated by her employer. Her family is seeking government intervention as they prepare for her burial.
Key points
- Kenyan househelp Joy dies in Saudi Arabia under mysterious circumstances.
- Best friend Ruth Kerubo recounts their last conversation, which was about ordering sneakers.
- Kerubo urges Kenyans working in Saudi Arabia to speak up when feeling unwell and seek medical help when necessary.
