Anita Agalisi is a Ghanaian who spent seven years and eight months living and working in Saudi Arabia. She traveled there in 2019 after hearing about domestic work opportunities from a friend. Before moving, she had worked at Papa’s Restaurant in Las Vegas. Initially, she was told she would be working in a boutique, but upon arrival, she realized the job was as a housemaid.
Despite the unexpected change, Anita stayed because she was determined to handle whatever tasks were given to her. “If 1,000 people lived there, you had to serve them all,” she said. The work was demanding, and she often found herself overwhelmed and emotionally drained. Her weight dropped, and she frequently cried while working.
Although she was promised a salary of 1,500 riyals, she discovered she would be paid only 950 riyals. Over time, her salary was gradually increased — to 1,000 riyals after two years, and eventually to 1,700 riyals after she gained popularity on social media. Despite doing the work of two people, her complaints were often ignored. However, one elderly woman in the household understood and supported her. Anita became responsible for the care of the elderly man in the house — feeding him, bathing him, giving him medicine, and cleaning up after him, even when he soiled himself. She would trim his nails and was often praised for her dedication.
Though her contract had ended, her employers did not want her to leave. At one point, she left the house for a week, and the old man passed away shortly afterward. Anita shared that during her time in Saudi Arabia, her passport and sometimes even her phone were confiscated — a common practice with domestic workers. She noted that many Ghanaians want to return home but are unable to because of such restrictions. One woman she knew was sick but couldn’t go back because her passport had been seized.
Anita emphasized that Saudi Arabia helped her in many ways. She maintained that she had no romantic relationships during her time there, but after returning to Ghana, she met someone through social media. Unfortunately, she later found out he was already living with another woman, which caused drama. She believes that if it weren’t for him, she might have still been working in Saudi Arabia.
She is now based in Haifa, Burkina Faso, and active on social media under the name Anita Agalisi on both TikTok and Facebook. While only Facebook currently pays her, she also earns money through advertising for businesses.
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