PRESS & MEDIA
Zaenal was a “modern slave” of a Dutch family:
“Had to iron clothes at two o’clock in the morning”
September 2023
Recently, the Dutch newspaper AD featured Zaenal’s story as a victim of modern slavery.
This story is related to a podcast produced by Fairwork, our engagement partner from The Netherlands.
The worst moment? That time, in the middle of the night, when the lady , his Dutch boss, asked Zaenal to iron her daughter’s clothes. The Indonesian former farm worker had been caring for Grandpa, her elderly father, all day. But for the lady it was never enough. Zaenal is a victim of modern slavery. He wants to warn Dutch people: yes, this is happening in your country. “I was treated like I was a madman, with whom they could do whatever they wanted.” (English translation from Dutch)
Chris van Mersbergen