Sami and Nayla Bardawil of 5Index.com Enslave Their “Investment”

The Bardawils, owners of 5index, kept Jennifer as a slave for 10 months. They sent her home under pressure from TIL and provided no evidence of ever paying her.

Worker

Jennifer Azure

Employers

Sami & Nayla Bardawil

JENNIFER'S PLEA

Watch Jennifer speak up about her experience with the Bardawil family

THE STORY

Sami and Nayla Bardawil (born Nayla Moujaes), are owners of companies called International Network S.B Sal and 5index Info Systems and Technologies Sarl who publish a business directory called 5index. They live in Mtayleb, an upmarket suburb of Beirut with several embassies in close proximity.


Jennifer Azure left Ghana to lift herself and her family out of poverty by working for the Bardawil family as a live-in housemaid. She had no idea that the Bardawils, despite their prestigious address and appearance, had financial problems of their own and were going to enslave her.


On 4 October, 2020 This Is Lebanon was contacted by Jennifer’s aunt who was concerned that her niece had not been paid for 10 months. Jennifer’s sending agent in Ghana was ‘Andrews’, the same agent responsible for recruiting Faustina Tay who died in suspicious circumstances in Beirut. There was concern that Jennifer could be returned to the same agent in Lebanon who physically abused other workers.

“If I pay her now, today or tomorrow $100 or $200 or $1,000 who’s going to guarantee my investment? I paid a fortune for her.”

This Is Lebanon conducted research on the family prior to contacting Sami Bardawil and discovered their businesses had gone bankrupt several times and been opened again under new names to avoid tax and legal actions. The initial conversation did not go well. Sami speaks English fluently with an American accent. You can listen to the conversation.

When approached by This Is Lebanon, Sami said he had paid $2,300 to hire Jennifer and that he had been advised by the agent not to pay her at all in the first year in order to protect his “investment”.

He claimed she came on a 3 year contract and if she wanted to “breach the contract”, she must pay him $1,600 plus costs incurred with General Security and the Notary Public in doing her papers. When told that there are no 3 year contracts and that he had breached the contract by not paying her for 3 or more consecutive months, Sami made excuses, stating that his “investment”- Jennifer Azure, had proved to be stubborn and was “unstable and bi-polar”. We told him if he was dissatisfied he should have returned her to the agency during the trial period and not kept her working for free. This Is Lebanon assured Sami that Jennifer would finish the contract but that he must pay the $2,000 salary he owed her. His response? “If I pay her now, today or tomorrow $100 or $200 or $1,000 who’s going to guarantee my investment? I paid a fortune for her.”

Sami Bardawil, CEO of 5index Info systems

When we asked him if he freely acknowledged that he hadn’t paid her for 10 months, he replied “I have all the money saved at the office for all the months.”

Sami's response when This Is Lebanon informed him of the Ministry of Labor's rule about non-payment.

We followed up the conversation on WhatsApp advising Sami and Nayla Bardawil that our goal was not to post; our goal was to get Jennifer the salary she had earned by working hard for their family. The Bardawils were not willing to pay, and they cut Jennifer’s access to the internet. On 21 October 2020, we received a message from Jennifer’s aunt: "They said she will be leaving for Ghana on Wednesday. She asked for money to buy a bag and they refused."

Jennifer herself contacted us soon after saying, "I am in Qatar Airport now waiting for my plane to Ghana. I will arrive tomorrow morning. They sent me without anything, not even money for transportation when I get to Ghana. They listed a long list to me, the ticket, PCR test, and said that they owe me nothing. They left me for days without wifi and said it was down."


Jennifer was sent home and there is no evidence that she has received her 10 months salary. She was in such poor health that she was hospitalised on arrival.


Subsequent negotiations with the Bardawils have proved fruitless. Nayla wrote, “Stop harassing me, don't ever dream that with your false claims and all your defamation, you're going to scare me. Jennifer not only took all her dues but she was overpaid; though she flatly and arrogantly breached the contract between us and consequently she still owes us a lot. Anyway she signed to us before she left, that she received all her rights.”


We replied, “Please send pics of all the receipts and whatever she signed. Thank you.”


None were sent. This Is Lebanon has tried on several occasions to reason with the Bardawils and we have been continuously blocked each time. 


Sadly, we believe Jennifer will never receive the salary she worked for, and the Bardawils have complete impunity for their enslavement of her.


The only justice is that now the Lebanese public will know of their crime and the hope that respectable institutions such as Group InfoPro and GIS Guide who partner with Sami and Nayla Bardawil will hold them accountable. 


The People

“If I pay her now, today or tomorrow $100 or $200 or $1,000 who’s going to guarantee my investment? I paid a fortune for her.” Sami

Sami Bardawil

CEO of 5Index Info Systems and worried about "losing his investment" in Jennifer. Claimed he "paid a fortune" for her.

Nayla Bardawil

Wife of Sami and employer of Jennifer. Claims Jennifer was "overpaid," but unwilling to provide documentation of paying her at all.

5Index Owned by Sami Bardawill who Enslaves Young Migrant Domestic Workeers in Lebanon
5Index.com

Owned by the Bardawils and registered in Lebanon as 5index Info Systems and Technologies Sarl. Anyone interested or listing or advertising with them?

Andrews Mccarthy Slavetrader and Trafficker of Ghanaian Woman Faustina Tay
Andrews (Abey) Mccarthy

The Ghanaian recruiter in Faustina's case. While often requesting the worker's first couple months of salary, he is nowhere to be found when she needs help.

Jennifer's Aunt

Initially contacted us informing us of Jennifer's desperate situation.

Jennifer Azure

Ghanaian born Migrant Domestic Worker for the Bardawil family. Had to be hospitalized on arrival back home. She is still seeking her salary for the 10 months she says remains unpaid.

TAKE ACTION

We can't do this alone. We need your help! Join us in this fight.

Contact the Employers

Talk to the Bardawils and ask them to send Jennifer's money or proof of payment.

Share the Story

Tell others about this. Join us in the fight to ensure that the Bardawils are brought to justice.

Join Our Work

We need your help to continue our efforts in fighting for Jennifer and others like her.

Get the Updates

Get the updates straight into your inbox so you don't miss any part of the story.

القصة

سامي ونايلة بردويل (ولدت نايلة موجيس) وأطفالهما البالغون جيسيكا ومونيكا ومارك وبيتر وسامي جونيور ، هم أصحاب شركات تدعىInternational Network S.B Sal و 5index Info Systems and Technologies Sarl الذين ينشرون دليل أعمال يسمى 5index. وهم يعيشون في مطيلب ، إحدى ضواحي بيروت الراقية التي تقع على مقربة من العديد من السفارات. غادرت جينيفر أزور غانا لانتشالنفسها وعائلتها من براثن الفقر من خلال العمل لدى عائلة بردويل كخادمة منزل تعيش في منزلها. لم تكن لديها أدنى فكرة عن أن عائلةالبردويل ، على الرغم من عنوانهم المرموق ومظهرهم المرموق ، يعانون من مشاكل مالية خاصة بهم وسوف يستعبدونها.


في 4 تشرين الأول (أكتوبر) 2020 ، اتصلت عمة جنيفر بـ This Is Lebanon والتي كانت قلقة من أن ابنة أختها لم تتلق أجرًا لمدة 10 أشهر. وكيل إرسال جنيفر في غانا كان "أندروز" ، العميل نفسه الذي جند فوستينا تاي التي ماتت في ظروف مريبة في بيروت. كان هناكقلق من إمكانية إعادة جينيفر إلى نفس الوكيل في لبنان الذي أساء جسديًا إلى عمال آخرين.

"إذا دفعت لها الآن ، اليوم أو غدًا 100 دولارأو 200 دولار أو 1000 دولار ، فمن سيضمن استثماري؟ لقد دفعت لها ثروة "

أجرت منظمة This Is Lebanon بحثًا حول العائلة قبل الاتصال بسامي البردويل واكتشفت أن أعمالها التجارية قد أفلست عدة مرات وتمفتحها مرة أخرى بأسماء جديدة لتجنب الإجراءات الضريبية والقانونية. محادثتنا الأولى لم تسر على ما يرام.

يتحدث سامي الإنجليزية بطلاقة بلهجة أمريكية. يمكنك الاستماع إلى المحادثة هنا. قال إنه دفع 2300 دولار لتوظيف جينيفر وأن الوكيلنصحه بألا يدفع لها على الإطلاق في السنة الأولى من أجل حماية "استثماره".

ادعى أنها جاءت بعقد مدته 3 سنوات وإذا أرادت "خرقالعقد" ، فعليها أن تدفع له 1600 دولار بالإضافة إلى التكاليف التي تكبدتها مع الأمن العام وكاتب العدل في عمل أوراقها. أشرنا إلى عدموجود عقود لمدة 3 سنوات وأنه قد أخل بالعقد بعدم دفعها لمدة 3 أشهر متتالية أو أكثر. لقد قدم الأعذار بأن "استثماره" أثبت أنه عنيد و "غيرمستقر وثنائي القطب". قلنا له إنه إذا كان غير راضٍ ، كان عليه إعادتها إلى المكتب خلال الفترة التجريبية وعدم تركها تعمل مجانًا. أكدنا لهأنها ستنتهي من العقد ، لكن عليه أن يدفع راتب 2000 دولار الذي كان يدين به لها. ما هو رده؟ "إذا دفعت لها الآن ، اليوم أو غدًا 100 دولارأو 200 دولار أو 1000 دولار ، فمن سيضمن استثماري؟ لقد دفعت لها ثروة ".

سامي بردويل

عندما سألناه عما إذا كان قد اعترف بحرية أنه لم يدفع لهالمدة 10 أشهر ، أجاب "لدي كل المال المدخر في المكتب طوال الأشهر".

رد سامي عندما أبلغه هذا هو لبنان بحكم وزارة العمل بشأن عدم الدفع.

تابعنا المحادثة على WhatsApp نصحنا سامي ونايلة بردويل بأن هدفنا ليس النشر ؛ كان هدفنا هو أن نحصل على جينيفر الراتب الذيحصلت عليه من خلال العمل الجاد من أجل أسرتها. لم تكن عائلة البردويل على استعداد للدفع ، وقاموا بقطع وصول جنيفر إلى الإنترنت. في 21 أكتوبر 2020 ، تلقينا رسالة من عمة جنيفر: "قالوا إنها ستغادر إلى غانا يوم الأربعاء. طلبت نقودًا لشراء حقيبة لكنهم رفضوا".

اتصلت بنا جينيفر نفسها بعد فترة وجيزة قائلة: "أنا الآن في مطار قطر أنتظر طائرتي إلى غانا. سأصل صباح الغد. لقد أرسلوني بدونأي شيء ولا حتى نقود للتنقل عندما أصل إلى غانا. لقد وضعوا قائمة طويلة لـ أنا ، التذكرة ، اختبار PCR ، وقالوا إنهم لا يدينون لي بأيشيء. لقد تركوني لأيام بدون اتصال wifi وقالوا إنه معطل. "


لقد أثبتت المفاوضات اللاحقة مع البردويل عدم جدواها. كتبت نايلة: "توقف عن مضايقتي ، لا تحلم أبدًا بأنك ستخيفني بادعاءاتك الكاذبةوكل تشهيرك. لم تأخذ جنيفر جميع مستحقاتها فحسب ، بل حصلت على رواتب زائدة ؛ على الرغم من أنها خرقت العقد المبرم بيننا بشكلقاطع وغطرسة ، وبالتالي فهي لا تزال تدين لنا بالكثير. على أي حال ، وقعت معنا قبل مغادرتها ، بأنها حصلت على جميع حقوقها ". أجبنا ،"الرجاء إرسال صور لجميع الإيصالات وأي شيء وقعت عليه. شكرا لك." لم يتم إرسال أي شيء. لقد حاولنا في عدة مناسبات أن نجادلالبردويل. استمروا في عرقلة محاولاتنا.


للأسف ، لن تحصل جينيفر أبدًا على الراتب الذي عملت به ، ولدى عائلة البردويل إفلات كامل من العقاب على استعبادهم لها.


العدالة الوحيدة هي أن الجمهور اللبناني الآن سيعرف بجريمتهم ويأمل أن تحاسبهم المؤسسات المحترمة مثل Group InfoPro و GIS Guide الشريكة مع سامي ونايلة البردويل.

SUPPORT OUR WORK

We depend on your donation to fight for domestic workers in Lebanon.