– LORETTAWhat happened to me when I was in Libya was worse than my situation in Nigeria. The circumstances I met in Libya was total hell. It was more like death. In short, death was better than going to live in Libya.
– OLIVIAThey told me to work in a brothel. I said I wouldn’t, so they beat me up.
– VICTORIAI had the opportunity to escape but I didn’t know where to go for help. I was afraid. Then I saw some men in a car. They told me to get in. They drove me into the bush, raped me and left me there.
The drive through the desert was another nightmare. They did not have enough food and water and people died on the way. But there was no turning back
– OLIVIAI saw lots of dead people. There was no food, no water, nothing.
– MERCYI really wanted to go back but I couldn’t because I’d already started the journey.
– PATIENCEOnce you’ve started the journey it’s hard to go back. So, I said to God, if this is where I die then let me die because there’s no turning back.
Having survived the horrific journey through Libya, the women were facing another challenge, the sea crossing to Italy. The traffickers put them in overloaded and unseaworthy boats and the risk of dying at sea is high
– LORETTAThat rubber boat, there were more than 160 of us on board. The boat was overloaded. There wasn’t any comfortable space. Everyone was suffocating when rescue arrived.
– MAUREENThe day we went the weather was bad. Some people died inside the rubber boat. Only a few of us were saved and reached Italy.