Saturday, March 24, 201
By Maryam Azwer
“I want my daughter back” - Nesamalar, with a photo of her daughter Meghala
Three years ago, Nesamalar Kanapathipulla bid farewell to her daughter Sundaralingam Meghala, who was leaving to Saudi Arabia as a domestic worker. Meghala had previously worked in Jordan and Dubai, to help bring in more income to support their family.
This time around however, Nesamalar had reason to panic. Shortly after Meghala began work at her sponsor’s house, her Ampara-based family stopped hearing from her. Months dragged on, into nearly three years, until finally, last year, Nesamalar vistied Colombo, and lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE). Nesamalar still had not heard from Meghala, until finally, early this year, she received a telephone call from a man who said he had worked for Meghala’s employers.
