Joy, a Kenyan househelp working in Saudi Arabia, died after suddenly collapsing during a casual game of football with her employer’s young son, leaving her family back in Kenya shattered and searching for answers.
The incident unfolded in the living room of the family’s home, where Joy and the young boy had been kicking a red ball back and forth.
Without any warning, she crumpled to the floor in the corridor. The boy stepped back in shock as the employer rushed to her side, calling her name repeatedly. Joy appeared to be convulsing. She was quickly taken to hospital, where doctors reportedly informed those close to her that she had suffered a heart attack.
Joy’s Sister Breaks Her Silence
Joy’s sister, Nanjala, has since spoken about the circumstances surrounding her sibling’s final days.
She explained that Joy did not hold a fixed position with one household but instead moved between different employers, spending roughly a month at each before returning to an agency that would place her somewhere new.
”Joy had only been there for just three weeks; she used to work for one month, goes back to the office then they find her a new house to work and that’s how she was surviving on house to house,” Nanjala said.
The home where Joy collapsed was therefore only her most recent placement, and she had barely settled in before tragedy struck.
Joy’s mother spoke tearfully about her daughter’s reasons for travelling to Saudi Arabia. Like many Kenyans who make the difficult journey abroad, Joy went with a singular purpose: to earn enough money to improve life for her family at home.
What makes the loss even harder to bear is how abruptly contact was cut off. Her mother recalled speaking to Joy on a Tuesday and finding her cheerful and well.
”We talked and she was fine on Tuesday but from Wednesday I could not find her on phone. I thought she was just busy but then I learnt she died. Joy has never complained to me that she was being mistreated,” her mother said.
Her mother’s only wish now is to bring Joy’s body home and give her a dignified send-off.
