I would wake up at 4:00 am and I'd go to sleep around midnight.
Dotto left her family in Tanzania to go to Oman for domestic work
but there, she found herself facing abuse and exploitation instead.
The recruiter told me there will not be heavy chores or too much work.
He said you will only be taking care of one baby.
When I got to Oman, there were four kids to care for, plus a boy with mental disabilities
which makes five.
On top of that, the house had three floors and I was the only help.
I tracked down 50 former domestic workers in Tanzania
who once worked in Oman or United Arab Emirates
many of whom had left a life of poverty
to find a future for themselves and their family.
Asma left her infant daughter
to work in Oman as a domestic worker in 2015
but she found that her employers paid her far less than she expected.
When I left Tanzania my agent promised me I would be getting 500,000 Tshs [$223]
but instead they gave 300,000 [$134].
They explained to me that there would be some deductions from my salary
to compensate for the expenses they spent to get me to Oman,
from my passport, other documents and medical checkup.
And for the flights.
Most Tanzanian domestic workers migrate to Oman
and increasingly some are turning to the United Arab Emirates
but both of these countries institute what's known as the kafala system.
This is the visa sponsorship system
that ties domestic workers' visas to their employers
and prohibits them from leaving without their employer's consent.
This facilitates abuse and exploitation.
Most domestic workers told me
that they had their passports confiscated.
Many said that their employers confined them to their house.
In some instances,
employers also physically or sexually abused them.
There was a day when I was all alone in the house.
That's when he came to me and told me that he wants to have sex with me
but I refused.
He would come into my room and sit near me.
He would strip off all his clothes and say, "I want to make love to you."
Tanzanian women who managed to flee their employers' homes
said that they went to embassies but received little help.
Some of them said the embassy officials sent them back
to abusive employers or agents
and others said that while the embassy tried to help,
they couldn't force the employers to pay for unpaid tickets
or for their salaries.
For some Tanzanian women,
migrating to Oman or the United Arab Emirates
left them financially, emotionally, and physically
worse off than they were before.
When I returned, they [my family] prayed for me
but I was not as mentally stable as before.
Tanzania has an obligation to protect its workers
before they leave the country,
after they arrive,
and when they return home.
This can include adequate pre-departure trainings,
proper oversight over the recruitment agencies,
as well as ensuring they have consular assistance such as paying for flight tickets
so that they can return home safely.
Tanzania, Oman and the United Arab Emirates
should cooperate with each other
to prevent exploitation of migrant domestic workers,
investigate abuses and prosecute those responsible.