What began as an invitation to work as a caregiver for four children living in the U.K. turned into what Loretta now knows as a form of modern slavery. Luckily Loretta was brave enough to find a way out and she shared her story of survival in a recent interview with the BBC.

“When we got to airport, her behavior changed…”

Loretta was working at an IVF clinic in Nigeria when a client approached her with an offer to move with them to the U.K. and help look after their four children for the next six months. At the end of that time, they would renew her visa and, with the money saved from her wages, she would be free to pursue her dream of higher education. The offer was attractive, so with her parent’s support, Loretta agreed. However, when they reached the airport in Lagos, ready to fly out to the U.K., Loretta noticed a change in the mum, she became more overbearing and aggressive.

Once they reached the U.K. things only got worse. Her passport was taken, and Loretta was expected to work 24 hours a day, 7 seven days a week with no breaks. On top of that, month after month she didn’t receive any pay for her work. So, as the end of the six months approached Loretta mustered up the courage to ask about renewing her visa, as planned. If nothing else, at least she could still pursue her dream of an education. But she was told they were not going to renew the visa, there was a new plan.

Loretta said her employer told her:

“I’m just to keep working with them for years and I haven’t even been paid. This wasn’t the plan at all. I was shocked! I said no, I have a future. I have dreams and this is not what we agreed on!”

Loretta really started to worry, she knew overstaying your visa was illegal, but without her passport she was stuck. She also had no idea that what was happening to her was wrong, even illegal, and it has a name: modern slavery.

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