On Pointe - Too close to home

I'M going to tell you a story. At the end of the story you get to decide how much of it is true.
Meet Jill. Jill lived in a country where it was difficult for a single mother to provide for her children. So like many women in her community, she made her way to a neighbouring country to work.
The authorities let her in with a bribe even though Jill went through proper channels. Each time her visa needed to be renewed a bribe was expected. Sometimes she'd pay the bribe and nothing would be done.
Jill's son Allen is 10 years old and misses his mother. But Jill has no choice but to work as a maid to be able to send money home to her sister who is looking after Jill's son.
Jill is excellent at her job. She is conscientious, kind and hardworking. Those whose homes Jill works in sing her praises, so much so that Jill has to turn down locals who need her help.
A few weeks ago, when Jill came home, she found that the authorities had broken into her house that she shares with other workers.
They broke the door, the lights, cupboards. They even threatened her housemate with deportation unless a large sum of money was given.
So Jill's housemate went begging within the run-down low-cost flats and managed to scrape together half of what was demanded.
The authorities took it and left.
This is not unheard of and is especially common just before local festivals.
Jill also has to pay protection money to a local gangster. The gangster and his sister run a tight ship and enjoy the power they have, demanding money at random.
Jill's monthly fee entitles her to work in certain housing areas without the police harassing her or taking her money. The proof is a little homemade floppy manila card that Jill has with her at all times.
This is supposed to protect her from the corrupt police that roam the street she lives on. The police in the area get a cut from the money she pays the gangster. The local gangster is untouchable.
But Jill's protection money is not a guarantee, because when she's on the bus, the police raid the buses and take all the money she's earned that day or threaten her with jail time where she is not safe either.
So every time Jill collects a small sum of money she immediately wastes no time and sends the money to her sister. She can't open a local bank account and so her belongings and money are not safe.
Jill has tried to get her papers. She's tried every way she knows how and she's been cheated so many times.
She can't go back without papers, she can't stay without papers. Jill is one of the many who are vulnerable to abuse and bears the brunt of a corrupt system. Two weeks ago, Jill called, scared and crying. She was robbed and raped by the local gangster. The story does not end here.
Jill could not get medical assistance because as soon as she tells a doctor she was raped, a police report would be made. Then what?
Scared she might get pregnant, scared she might now be infected with any number of venereal diseases and scared to go back to her tiny broken room to get her belongings because the gangster who raped her and his many official and unofficial wives live in the same apartment block.
Jill who everyone loves is now traumatised. All her money taken from her. She has nothing.
She has to work but she cannot because of the pain and trauma – physical, mental and emotional. Every day that Jill does not work, Jill does not get paid.
What is Jill to do? Where is Jill to go? Who will help Jill get justice? What will happen to Jill?
Before you decide how real and true this story is, first let's change Jill's name to Putri. Now change her son's name to Dimas and let's give the local gangster the name Siva.
Now, decide how real this story is and what Putri is going through right now.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com