On her first day of work, Adau realised she had made a big mistake. 'We got our uniforms, not even knowing exactly what we were going to do. From the first day of work we were taken to the drones factory. We stepped in and we saw drones everywhere and people working. Then they took us to our different work stations.'
Adau, originally from South Sudan, had been lured to the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, Russia. Promised a full-time job under the Alabuga Start programme designed for young women from Africa, she began her journey believing in a future of professional training. However, she soon discovered the troubling reality: the programme was allegedly using deception, with workers placed in perilous conditions, producing drones.
The recruitment scheme recently came under scrutiny after accusations linking it to human trafficking. Despite denying wrongdoing, the programme admitted to employing some individuals in drone production, a fact that Adau and others claim was not disclosed to them.
Adau's experience reflects a broader issue affecting over 1,000 women recruited from Africa, as South African authorities initiated an investigation to safeguard their citizens from misleading jobs advertised by the Alabuga programme.
Upon her arrival, Adau faced a harsh awakening in a freezing environment, transitioning from training to a job she never envisioned. The long-awaited promise of empowerment shattered as NDA restrictions prohibited discussion of work even with family.
The climate of fear intensified when a Ukrainian drone strike directly impacted their hostel, revealing the facility's nature as a military production site. Despite the danger and burning skin from chemicals used in production, Adau sought a way out, demonstrating the vulnerability of women caught in such intricate traps of exploitation. Her story is a stark reminder of the need for vigilance against human trafficking masked as job opportunities.
Adau, originally from South Sudan, had been lured to the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, Russia. Promised a full-time job under the Alabuga Start programme designed for young women from Africa, she began her journey believing in a future of professional training. However, she soon discovered the troubling reality: the programme was allegedly using deception, with workers placed in perilous conditions, producing drones.
The recruitment scheme recently came under scrutiny after accusations linking it to human trafficking. Despite denying wrongdoing, the programme admitted to employing some individuals in drone production, a fact that Adau and others claim was not disclosed to them.
Adau's experience reflects a broader issue affecting over 1,000 women recruited from Africa, as South African authorities initiated an investigation to safeguard their citizens from misleading jobs advertised by the Alabuga programme.
Upon her arrival, Adau faced a harsh awakening in a freezing environment, transitioning from training to a job she never envisioned. The long-awaited promise of empowerment shattered as NDA restrictions prohibited discussion of work even with family.
The climate of fear intensified when a Ukrainian drone strike directly impacted their hostel, revealing the facility's nature as a military production site. Despite the danger and burning skin from chemicals used in production, Adau sought a way out, demonstrating the vulnerability of women caught in such intricate traps of exploitation. Her story is a stark reminder of the need for vigilance against human trafficking masked as job opportunities.
