VOA标准英语2013--Kenyans Line Up for Middle East Jobs Despite Record of Abuse

 

Kenyans Line Up for Middle East Jobs Despite Record of Abuse

Twenty-year-old Benard Akech has too much time on his hands. Since graduating from high school two years ago, he has yet to find a job in Nairobi. So, he has decided¹ to look for work abroad.

“I’m planning to go to Dubai for at least 10 years. Then, after 10 years, when I come back to Kenya, I’ll be much better than now," Akech said. "I’ll have my money to take me to do higher studies at university level.”

Benard has come to this recruitment office to interview for a job as a waiter at a five-star hotel in Dubai.

Hundreds of young Kenyans have passed through this office, looking for work in the Middle East. The successful ones have gone off to become physical trainers, lifeguards or flight attendants².

The owner, Lillian Zacho, says finding work is not just good for her clients, it is good for the country. “I want to help as many people, young people, as possible in this country to go out, get a better working environment, get training, and now, since our country is developing so much, most of these young people are the ones who are coming back as managers or supervisors,” she stated.

The number of jobs being created each year in Kenya has failed to keep pace with the fast growing population.

So, many are drawn³ to wealthy cities in the Middle East, like Dubai, which are desperate for cheap labor⁴ to staff luxury hotels and homes.

While some Kenyans have found success abroad, others say they were treated like slaves.

Matilda Mawamba has just returned from Lebanon, where she spent several months working as a domestic⁵ servant. She found the job through a recruitment agency.

She says she stood for hours at a sink, washing dishes, doing laundry for a large family seven days a week, with no time to rest or go to church.

Soon, she caught a chest infection and became too sick to work.

"When I was sick, I told my boss that I wasn’t feeling well [and to] please take me to the hospital. He refused. He bought for me Panadols - painkillers," said Mawamba. "He told me to take this Panadol and continue with the work, not to take medicine and rest."

With the help of the recruitment agency, she was able to come home. She says her life is better in Nairobi, even if she does not have much money.

But she worries about her sister, still working in Saudi Arabia. She tries to call her when she has enough phone credit. Today, she says, her sister must be too busy to answer.

After hearing too many stories of abuse, the government last year banned Kenyans from traveling abroad to work as domestic servants, though they can still go for hotel work or other jobs.

The Foreign Ministry⁶ estimates at least 100,000 Kenyans are working in the Middle East, and recruitment is showing no sign of slowing down. 

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 attendants   

n.服务人员( attendant的名词复数 )；侍者；随从；伴随物

参考例句：

• Other flight attendants and passengers are believed to have fought. 我们相信其他服务人员及乘客也都进行了斗争。 来自时文部分
• Psyche gave ear to the admonitions of her vocal attendants. 普绪喀听从这些有声无形的外人的意见。 来自辞典例句

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 domestic   

adj.家里的，国内的，本国的；n.家仆，佣人

参考例句：

• This is domestic news.这是国内新闻。
• She does the domestic affairs every day.她每天都忙家务。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。