When Agencies Make Your Life and That of Your Family, a Nightmare

Baby Sitter

I don’t know the rules that govern agents in Kenya but sometimes I think they have gone to far. I don’t know if Kenyans in other countries experience the same madness with agents but agents that aid Kenyans to come to Germany are almost like terrorists. 

I’ve heard of some who apparently take juju to ensure the au pairs pay them back while others will terrorise the au pair’s family demanding for extra cash for no apparent reason. What should one do when being harassed by agents? Would going to the Kenyan police be a solution? (On a lighter note, the recent opinion poll in Kenya showed that Kenyans fear the police more than terrorists….hehehe….most would rather have Osama as their neighbour than have a police post next to their house…haiya).

To the Kenyans in Kenya and would like to come to Germany, please try and apply everything for yourself or seek help from a reputable agency or institutions; these rogue agencies are just a nightmare and they aren’t even cheap. Why risk your life and that of your family by getting involved with an agent who will steal your money and in most cases not even help you with your application?

Google is your friend, find the info online, seek advice from DAAD offices in Nairobi or send me an email or chat with the DAAD guys on Facebook or talk to relatives and friends (though these also have to be reasonable people, I heard of a guy whose aunt was charging him €2000 to bring him to Austria to seek asylum).

Here’s is a message I got from a Kenyan living in Germany about the terror she and her family have undergone in the hands of an agent in Nairobi.

Read your article about aupairs and how agencies extort money from them. It’s true it happens.

I wanted to come to Germany, so my mum searched for an agency and found it. He made big promises to my mum and my mum paid a lot of money but nothing happened. We waited and waited but never got a family and he never communicated to us. He never answered my mum’s calls so I left the aupair story and started studying in Kenya.

Then a pal found work for me as FSJ and I came here last month. 

I don’t know how the agent found out I came here but he called my mum and said we owe him money and threatened her that he has my papers and documents and he can spoil things for me here.

My mum was scared and confused and didn’t know where all this was coming from coz we hadn’t heard from him for 1 and a half years and my mum had already paid him so she was so scared she went and borrowed money and just paid him. She truly believed he could destroy everything for me here.

Is that possible? Can he do anything? Is this what agents are doing to the families we leave behind?

They know we are our families’ hope for a better life. Are they purposely threatening families so as to get money?

How should I advise my mum and how can we protect them?

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