Ecuador is very poor country of South America. The people of this country they speak Spanish language because it was under Spanish control, in simple words you can say it was Spanish colony. Spanish people looted everything from here, they took their treasure and on the other hand they treated their women very badly. I call it brutality and violence because rape is small word for this. Maria belonged to Ecuador. She was born in small and backward town of Ecuador. Where there wasn’t available clean drinking water, if I talk about food, its luxury for them. Not even she was living in backward town; even there was poverty and backwardness.
Maria started prostitution, when she was very young. Not even Maria, her younger sister was doing the same job, even though her two younger brothers were in the same business. They used to earn some money buy sexual relationships, even though they were living hand to mouth. Their father used to drink alcohol whole day. He used to pass his most of time in drunken position. Whenever he used to come back to normal, he used to beat up his wife. Sometime if he had good mode, he used to have sex with her wife openly. It happens many times, Maria and Sonia came home, they saw their mother and father right in the middle of the court yard having sex each other. But their father never bothered that his daughters have seen them. Now Maria and Sonia used to give a dam about this. Their father used to think about his alcohol and if he ever had some extra money he used to spend that money in bingo.
Maria had first baby, it was boy. His father shouted a lot. If it would have been a girl, she would have been earning money for them. He didn’t even ask her daughter that who is the father of this child. Even Maria didn’t know about this because there wasn’t any system of checking D.N.A. Maria was madly in love with his son, Jozay (Spanish pronunciation is Khozay) was very beautiful. After few months Sonia gave birth to a child. Before these two sisters used to feed their family by selling their corpses or you can say by prostitution. Now they had to work very hard to feed their kids as well. They were already living hard life, now it was worse. Time was passing slowly. Maria got pregnant again and she gave birth to a child, this time it was a baby girl. Maria’s father was very happy. He used to drink a lot but today he drank more than before just to celebrate this good news. He drank, he danced a lot, and he babbled and shouted like he was mad. When he felt that he shouted a lot, he went to his wife. Now they had three kids in their house, Jozay, (Khozay) Shanzay and Sanchay. Thrice of them were very beautiful. Now Maria starting thinking that their kids shouldn’t have future like Maria and Sonia. So she decided to do something for this. Her efforts showed some results. She found some agent to take her Italy. She left Jozay and Shanzay in her sister Sonia’s custody and promised her that she will arrange something for her so she will call her Italy as well. Her parents shouted a lot but later on they gave her permission when she promised them that she will send them more money than here. The agent who was taking Maria to Italy, he told her that she will be working as a nurse. Maria wasn’t interested that what would be the job. She was happy that she was going abroad for the betterment of her kids. Sonia gave her complete satisfaction that she will look after her kids if she will send her money regularly and she will arrange something for her in Italy as well. She accepted her condition.
For Maria it was very hard to leave her beautiful kids, she said good bye to them went with agent. When she arrived at the airport, there were other girls as well. More or less all of them had same story.
After tiring journey, they arrived at Italy’s capital Rome. They landed on Fiumucino airport. For them it was new world. They travelled from South America to Europe, it was tiring journey. Due to weariness they were unable to understand what was going on. When they came out from the airport, agent’s person was standing with bus. He loaded all these girls in bus and bus started. After four hours tiring journey they arrived in Tuscan city called Firenze (Florence). He transferred them in a cheap hotel. During their journey their agent told them that a flat has been arranged for them. When they will move in that flat, they will start their job.
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The first thing Maria did, she phoned her parent and asked about her kids. She indicated and signified her sister Sonia to look after her kids. After saying this she disconnected her call. Their passports and other travel document took their agent and told them for office use he will need these documents. They didn’t have problem of understanding Italian because there was a lot of similarity among Spanish and Italian.
After two days stay in hotel they were being transferred in a flat. Now they were little bit acquainted of each other. That night their agent came to their flat and told them that he has arranged their jobs. The van is waiting for them. He gave them dresses as well. He said to them wear these costumes and do your make up properly. When these girls wore these dresses, they got shocked that in Italy nurses wear these types of dresses. Anyhow they did what their agent said. They were ready, than came to van and sat inside the van. The driver started the van and it was flying on the road. They came out of city and they entered in environ of city. Finally they were in out skirts of city, where there was nobody. There were few buildings. He started dropping girls one by one after a little distance. The last person he dropped was Maria. Until yet Maria was well aware that what kind of nurse she is.
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It had been two years that Maria was working as prostitute in Florence’s industrial zone. During this period she regularly sent money to Ecuador. Even though to earn money she used to work very hard but she didn’t care about this. With the passage of time Maria came to know that if you want to live in Europe, you need proper documents which mean legal documents. In Ecuador she never thought of legal or illegal thing. She didn’t know anything about these things. The only thing she knew that people go to Europe and earn a lot of money. Now she was able to speak Italian language as well. There agent knew that these girls aren’t suitable for this job after two or three years. So he used to bring new girls one after another.
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After little effort Maria found a job to look after a handicap cum old man. He had two children, daughter and son but they were very busy in their lives. They didn’t have any time to look after their old father. This old man had his own house. Maria was living with him. Maria found after a long time a decent place to sleep. One portion was in use of that old man and other portion was in use of Maria. Maria was very comfortable here. All the bills like electricity, gas and water used to pay that gentleman. Even he used to pay money every week to buy grocery as well. Above all Maria used to get salary per month as well. Her salary was her saving. She saved enough money to pay agent to bring her sister as well to Italy. She was waiting for the right time. Her kids were studying in good schools. Now their grandparents were very happy with them because Maria used to send them enough money for kids and for her parent as well. Maria never ever dreamt about this life which she was living now. She used to look after that old man as good as possible. First time in her life she thought that she is human being as well. She started looking after himself like about her hair style, her dress. Whenever she used to accompany that old man to bazaar for shopping, people used to look at her like she was someone very special. Lots of boys tried to stop her to speak with her some of them gave her their mobile number and address but Maria wasn’t interested in these things. Maria knew what they want and she was sick of all this. Now she was looking for someone who will really care about her. One day someone told her, that if you want to live in Italy, the most important thing is permesso di soggiorno (permit of stay). Where she was working, she spoke with that gentleman and he said, I know nothing about these things but I will ask someone about this because I know you are working for me illegally, if someone will knew about this they will do fine to me. He wanted to help her. He gets all the information about this and told her that there is only one way. If Italian government opens immigration than she apply for the documents and she can live in Italy legally.
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Those days, Maria heard that people were whispering about immigration, that Italian government has decided to open immigration and finally they did it. As Maria heard this news she paid money to agent and he brought Maria’s sister Sonia to Italy as well. When Sonia saw Maria’s way of life, she got flabbergasted. Both sisters submitted their papers. Maria’s papers submitted that old man for whom she was working and for her sister; she asked someone and paid him. During this period she used to send money to Ecuador regularly. Jozay, Shanzay and Sanchay were growing rapidly. They were good in their studies as well. Their parents were very happy and their two little brothers were enjoying their life with money which these sisters used to send them. They never even thought of it that to earn money their sisters work very hard.
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When Maria came to know that that she is pregnant, she wasn’t upset but when she told that gentleman whom she was looking after, he got annoyed and he said if somebody will knew about this that this is my baby, than it will be problem for him. I can’t give my name to this child than there are legal technicalities about property papers. He said my son and daughter won’t be happy as well, so you waste this baby and go to hospital for abortion. Maria went to the hospital for abortion but it was too late. Maria didn’t get any answer from questura about her papers which she submitted. While she was worried about this, Sonia announced that she is pregnant as well.
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Baby’s birth’s day was coming closer and that gentleman was becoming upset day by day because Maria wasn’t legal yet. It was quite possible that Italian government could have refused to give her permesso di soggiorno. Finally she gave birth to her baby. The kid’s face was entirely different. He had similarity neither with father nor with mother. He had his own face. Maria gave him name Buonafortuna, which means good luck. According to Italian law and legislation this child was neither legal nor illegal. As Maria had submitted her papers so she had medical card and she had facility of medical so she didn’t have any problem before and after the birth of child for medical treatment. Now the problem was child. If they could have checked his D.N.A. than it wouldn’t have been any problem they would have discover it straight away who is the father, as the father was Italian so he could have citizenship. As Maria was living happily because of her datore di lavoro (the one who gives you job) so she didn’t take such an action. She respected him. He used to give handsome money to Maria and for her child. So Maria used to manage everything very nicely. She used to look after her child that gentleman; she left no stone un-turn to look after this gentleman.
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Italian government starting giving papers one by one. It was like almost, someone was getting permesso di soggiorno every day. Maria was waiting for her documents and she was planning about future. Suddenly that gentleman became very sick and ill the one she used to look after. With a small span of time he died. Maria thought for a while someone has ruined his life, she is homeless. She felt not even in Florence, in Ecuador as well she is homeless. She didn’t have document as well until yet. As this gentleman died, his son and daughter came for the funeral rituals. When these things were being completed, they told Maria that they are very sorry but after their father’s death this house where you are living is their property. So they want to sell it and the money they will divide half each so you find yourself some place to live. Her contract was terminated as well so legally he wasn’t allowed to live here. Maria went to CGIL and she went to Caritas as well, she knocked every door where she thought that she will have some help but nobody helped her.
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Maria found another job and she found a place to live as well. Her little sister started living with an Italian boy. Sonia got pregnant once again but she didn’t keep this baby. Maria related her story to her sister but she refused to help her as she knew everything but she became so selfish after coming here. Sonia said I can’t do anything for you. So now Maria was unable to send money to Ecuador. She was worried about her kids. If she wouldn’t send money regularly than her parents would put her kids on the same track which she never liked. Before Maria used to bribe her parents, now her two brothers lost their self respect. They were young but they used to ask Maria for money. Above all they started drinking alcohol and started going to bingo. Maria used to manage these entire things on her own. On the other hand she was worried about her kids’ papers. She was still illegal because she didn’t get papers yet.
Italian government announced the people who have problem with their datore di lavoro (the person who gives you job), or they aren’t pursuing their case, or if they died, they will provide all those people, six months permesso di soggiorno and with that permesso di soggiorno they will have to find some other job or any kind of work contract. They news was good news for Maria but the problem was her child. What she should do. She went to different offices but nobody gave her appropriate answer. There wasn’t any kind of law about her situation. There was only one way that she should take her kid to Ecuador and apply his paper from Ecuador which is called recongiugimento fimiliare. The problem was that how she could explain to Ecuador’s embassy in Italy that she doesn’t know the father of her son. (As she knew).
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At last that day came and Maria got permesso di soggiorno. So from now on she stopped living the way she used to live. There was a lot of scariness in her life before which wasn’t now. She had some saving. As her paper work got completed she decided to go to Ecuador. She had some money and she borrowed some money from her friends.
Maria was going back to Ecuador after five years. Her son Jozay was twelve, her daughter Shanzay was eleven now. She went to Rome from Florence. Than after a tiring journey she arrived in her country Ecuador. She took taxi from airport to her home. When she arrived home, her home’s condition was very bad. Mother and father were very old; her father didn’t left alcohol and bingo. Now he used to go with his sons. As they were short of money so they forced these three kids to work. Now Jozay, Shanzay and Sanchay were doing the same job as these two sisters used to do. Now when they saw Buonafortuna, they shouted a lot. Maria said now he will stay with you as well. They got annoyed. Maria asked them why these kids stopped going to school. Why they are doing this dirty job. Her parents didn’t give her proper answer. Maria’s life was full of pain and agony, she accepted this as well. In week’s time she came to Italy. She found a proper job. She used to work twelve hour a day. According to Italian law she must have appropriate annual income to bring her kids to Italy. She completed everything; she fulfilled all requirements according to Italian law. She applied their document in Questura. When she got no objection certificate which is called nulla osta. She sent that paper to Ecuador. When they got visas from Italian high commission in Ecuador, she went to Ecuador to bring her kids to Italy. As her kids arrived in Italy, she sent them to school. She left her parents, brothers and Sonia’s daughter Sanchay on her own. She stopped sending money to them. As she came back to Italy from Ecuador with her kids she stopped seeing her sister Sonia as well. She gave her all attention to her kids. Now Maria is living a peaceful life in Florence city but sometime she thinks about her past, she screams. She faced so many problems, after having all these disasters she took her kids out of that dirty life which she had.
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