The inspiring story of a hard-working Asian woman who came to Malta to work to support her family began with a difficult life of abuse and exploitation, before she finally found help from social workers.

It is no secret that many foreign nationals have found themselves in Malta in search of a better future. Many of them come to find work, particularly to be able to send money back to their families in their own country.

The Malta Independent on Sunday made contact with June, whose real name was kept anonymous, through Agenzija Appogg, an agency within the Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) which helps victims of abuse and exploitation understand the Maltese culture and community, and help them integrate better into society.

June, who is now in her 50s, came to Malta in 2017 from an Asian country. Specific details are not being published so as to protect her identity. She told us her story through an interpreter.

In a small city nestled in the northern part of the country where she was born, June's life began in meagre circumstances.

Born into a family grappling with poverty, her early years were marked by challenges that would forge an indomitable spirit.

Armed with only a scant six years of primary schooling and limited formal education, she embarked on a journey of unceasing hard work and relentless determination.

At the tender age of 17 or 18, June entered the working world, which would define her existence for the years to come.

She worked in many sectors, from a restaurant to a factory. June also worked in the depths of a mine as a miner. A testament to her resilience, June also experienced two accidents while mining, which remained imprinted in her memories.

Undeterred by her lack of formal education, June looked for each opportunity to earn a living, epitomising the notion of survival.

With a history of arduous labour etched into her being, June later transitioned into various roles, including that of a construction site worker and her hands still bear the scars of mixing cement and carrying bricks.

“It was hard and I remember my fingers were always bloodied. But I was happy to earn some money,” she said.

When June finished a day’s hard work, she went back home to do the washing, the cooking and all the house work.

“I got used to the hard work, as I was very young. While I would be very exhausted after a long day of hard work, after some sleep, I recovered for the next day,” June said.

As a young woman in her early 20s, societal pressures and familial circumstances meant that June had to get married.

“I was 24 years old and it was time to marry. At that time, finding love and marrying whom you choose was not an option. The wealth of the family you were marrying into mattered,” June said, adding that girls in her village normally got married at the age of 18 or 19, and 24 was already considered old.

June said that she did not care what type of person her husband would turn out to be, she just wanted to get married and leave her familial home, after suffering from abuse by her father.

The situation only got harder. Her struggle continued as she navigated a marriage marked by cruelty and abuse.

Her husband's erratic behaviour, fuelled by alcohol addiction, cast a shadow of torment over her life. The birth of her child didn't offer sanctuary from his aggression; instead, it marked the beginning of an even harsher reality.

June said that once they got married in her village, whether they had a good or a bad life, they had to keep going. Women continued having children, raising them and went on with their lives.

“It is very rare to get divorced,” June said, adding that she suffered a lot in her married life.

Her husband was rude and did not treat her well. He would beat her very often and sometimes even tie her up during the beatings, even in front of their child.

“I remember my neighbour sometimes jumping over the fence to untie me,” June said.

Several escape attempts left her battered, where at one point, she had left her marital home and she ended up sleeping under a bridge, after her father told her not to return to the family home.

As her son grew up and started attending middle school, things started to get better, as she hoped that her son would defend her against his father.

June stepped into the world of selling vegetables, to earn more money and carve a path for herself and her son.

But even this chapter faced adversity as her husband found out how much she could earn every day and would take all her hard-earned savings.

“He was also addicted to internet gaming and had affairs with other women,” June continued.

June’s son eventually went to University and started defending her when her husband got drunk.

“He sat my husband down, took his keys and all the money he had, and told me to come with him as he attended university. I told my son I could not abandon his father, as despite everything, he was still my husband,” June said, adding that during one of his drunken episodes, he had injured his foot, leaving him disabled.

Every month, June would give back all the money she earned to her husband and son. She would give him the equivalent of €400 to €500, which was a lot of money at the time.

“I always chose the hardest jobs and worked more than my husband. Every month I gave them money,” she reiterated.

Her business selling vegetables suffered after a while. June’s business partner had a sick wife, who suffered from cancer. He had asked her if he could use the money to save his wife's life.

“I gave him the money, but unfortunately I was never paid back. I tried to ask for the money back, which belonged to me. But when I went to their home, I saw that they were very poor. I ended up giving them more money. That is life. Life is more important than money sometimes,” June said.

Her business was then over. She had to go back home, back into survival mode.

June then went to the nearest big city in her country, to take on another job, as a night nurse. This job entailed taking care of newborn babies of wealthy people, staying up all night with them and doing house work during the day.

“The city had a higher income rate than the area where I came from. I always chose businesses which earned me more money, and that job brought in good income, more than €2,000 a month,” June said.

The income was good, but the job was very hard. June slept around four hours each day.

She injured her knee, which meant that she could not move and continue working. June had to give up her work to have surgery on her knee. After three months, she recovered and went back to the city, but it had become harder for her to work due to her injury.

June had also built a reputation among her clients, who were pleased with her services. One time, she spent an entire night sleeping with a baby in her arms, when she realised she could not move her arm.

Her clients found her a good acupuncturist and she recovered.

“Since then, I saved some money, and I eventually met the agent who introduced me to Malta,” June said.

June's journey would lead her to foreign shores, where a beacon of hope awaited. She had a friend whom she kept contact with through WeChat (the equivalent of WhatsApp) and she took care of all of June’s documents, such as her work permit and visa applications.

June paid around €10,000 in agent fees to come to Malta, as well as an additional €3,000 and more for flight tickets, visa and insurance. After one year, she came to Malta.

“I gave all my saved money to the agent and I came to Malta. I could not go back to my country. My physical condition will not let me do hard work anymore,” she said.

The transition, though, wasn't smooth; she encountered challenges and exploitation, forced into work that deviated from her expectations.

Agents who bring Asian women to work in Malta usually distribute them to various massage parlours, in very poor working conditions, poor wages, treatment and unsanitary accommodation, June said.

They are also told that if they want to earn more money, they would have to perform “special services” rather than just massages.

“What happened in Malta is that I was being fully controlled. I could not get any help from anybody, and I had no money, so there was no way to go back to my country. I just did whatever they told me to do,” June said.

June continued to send money back to her family, helping with medical expenses for her mother and sister.

“From the time I started working, I earned a lot of money. But the money never belonged to me. What I earned always went to someone or something else,” she said.

“Money does not belong to anyone, it is just a way. What made me happy was that the money I earned went to someone who needed it, my family, my business partner,” June continued.

When June herself was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, she realised that she must take care of herself more. June was diagnosed with cancer when she came to Malta, before she started receiving help by Appogg.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, she was very unwell. However, her employer in Malta did not tell her that the Oncology Centre had tried to contact her for treatment.

June’s employer wanted to keep her working and he did not help her get medical treatment. It was only when she got so bad that she couldn't work anymore, that he informed her that she needs to go to hospital.

Her employer also always deducted her national insurance contributions and tax; however he did not pass them on to the authorities.

“She was at peace that she is legally working but then when the hospital checked, the payments had not been deposited to national insurance,” the social worker present said.

Luckily, June kept all the papers the employer would give her and she had a strong case. Eventually he regularised the situation. But if she hadn't gotten sick, this would not have happened.

Moreover, employers often use this tactic, where the worker ends up being dependent on them. Many employers threaten their foreign workers with removing their work permit, which would then mean that the worker becomes “illegal”, automatically over-staying their welcome.

Workers who have had their work permit revoked by their employers only have 10 days to find another job and submit all the correct paperwork, which the social worker described as “impossible”, especially in the case of a non-EU citizen who does not understand the language.

“If the employer removes the person, they will not have to pay unpaid wages, they do not have to regularise the situation and they get away scot-free. They own them and decide and control every aspect of their life. In June’s case, her employer compromised her health,” the social worker said.

A laborious and controlled existence became June’s reality until social workers intervened, offering not just assistance, but a lifeline.

June's story took a turn towards recovery and transformation. The warmth of the Maltese people and the support of social workers breathed new life into her spirit.

June, now cancer-free, is learning English, has new employment and forged an economically independent life. With a heart full of gratitude, she credited the social workers for rekindling her trust.

“Receiving help from social workers changed my life. When I got diagnosed with cancer, it was a very complicated process, from the treatment to the social insurance. Someone had to negotiate with my previous boss to pay my NI, renew my work permit and pay social insurance,” June said.

After their help, June got regular treatment, accommodation, sometimes even transport.

“In my whole life, nobody has ever remembered my birthday. Apart from the social workers. I remember they had prepared a cake for me and they were singing happy birthday to me. It made me emotional,” June said.

“They were my umbrella, when I was going through a hard time. They covered me, they took care of me and took care of all the details,” she continued.

The social worker described June as a fighter, as even when she was undergoing treatment, she never wanted to stay idle and always wanted to work. Once Appogg received the go-ahead from the medical professional that the client was healthy enough to work, they proceeded with their help and organised English classes.

Despite her triumphs, June remained humble, acknowledging that the journey was not without its difficulties.

As she looked back on her remarkable journey, June found solace in the fact that her resilience had paved the way for her son's success, for her mother's care and for her own survival.

With eyes fixed on the future, June remained confident, embracing each day as a gift, regardless of its challenges.

She envisioned a return to her homeland but said that she would always come back to Malta.

Anchored by the unwavering support of social workers and a community that rallied around her, she had transformed from a woman marked by hardship into an emblem of hope, embodying the spirit of resilience that knows no bounds.

“The work I do here is not hard for me. I will continue working until I cannot any longer. I think I can continue working until I am over 65,” June joked.

“I am a foreigner looking for a future. It is hard, but from the hard experiences, I find happiness,” June said, laughing.