Obese, illegal and with little hope of a future. That is the current plight of Jameela Abdul Rahman, 54.
Jameela claims that her situation is due to the fact that she was cheated by employment agents and over the last three years, went from 80kg in weight to an astounding 165kg today.
“I came to the UAE on a housemaid’s visa and paid Rs1,25,000 to agents. After one year, my sponsorship changed. I wanted to get a new visa and gave whatever money I had earned to an agent. He took the money and never got my visa stamped.
Three months ago, I was detained by the Abu Dhabi police. I had to pay a fine of Dh2,500, which I paid to the agent. Instead of paying the fine, he pledged my passport with the police and bailed me out,” she says.
A major issue is that she has now been living illegally here for three years.
She is scared to visit the Indian Consulate or embassy seeking support.
But, perhaps, the bigger threat to her life is her obesity.
Jameela has no clear explanation for why she put on so much of weight. She was hardly stuffing herself with rich or fast food.
Social workers helping her speculate that she might have a medical condition that makes her prone to weight gain.
Others suggest that she reacted to her misfortunes by over-eating.
Due to her weight she now suffers from high blood sugar and cholesterol.
Speaking to Emirates 24|7, Jameela, who now lives in a sharing accommodation in Abu Dhabi says: “I cannot do any work, because I am overweight. Doctors have advised me to go back to India.”
Social workers at the Kerala Social Center, a socio- cultural organisation in Abu Dhabi are trying to mobilise resources for her treatment and repatriation.
Shareef Kalachal, Welfare Secretary, Kerala Social Center, Abu Dhabi told Emirates 24|7 that the association is running a campaign for her repatriation. “The old lady needs the support and attention of Indian community members and she needs to be immediately repatriated for further treatment in India.
The guy who has cheated her of Dh10,000 has promised to return Dh9,300 and her passport, but he keeps postponing the date.”
Siyad, a relative of Jameela, who lives in Satwa said: “Nobody in her family is overweight. I have tried to help her with money and moral support, but that is not enough. She needs to be hospitalised in India. Her two daughters are grown up and need to be married.”
She has been living on the support extended by fellow housemaids and the Kerala Social Center.
“I want to go back home as soon as possible because I cannot work here and nobody is ready to employ me,” she added.
Hailing from Fort Kochi, Kerala, Jameela is a widow and has four daughters, the eldest two of which are married