Kenyan Migrant Worker Returns Home Blind After Saudi Arabia Ordeal

Phelesia Ochieng returned to Kenya blind after a sudden loss of sight while working in Saudi Arabia.

Phelesia, born in Kiambu and one of ten siblings, grew up in a family struggling with economic hardship. As an adult, she sought opportunities to support her family. After becoming a mother of two and facing a strained marriage, she was introduced to an agent recruiting domestic workers for Saudi Arabia and decided to accept the offer, believing it could improve her family’s financial situation.

In Saudi Arabia, Phelesia worked in several households and eventually cared for an elderly woman. She earned the appreciation of her employers’ family and sent her earnings home, instructing her sister to save towards building a house for her widowed father.

As her contract neared its end, Phelesia refused to extend her stay. Soon after, she was offered a glass of milk by her employer, which she discarded after noticing dark particles at the bottom. The following day, she woke up completely blind.

Medical treatment in Saudi Arabia did not clarify the cause, and she was eventually discharged and allowed to return home. Back in Kayole, Nairobi, Phelesia faces the challenge of adjusting to life without sight.