A Ugandan woman deported from Turkey after living abroad for nearly six years has opened up about the painful experience of returning home to an empty house and starting life afresh with nothing.
Speaking during an interview with YouTuber Lynn Zabu, Daisy Jenny narrated how her dream of building a better future abroad turned into an emotional journey of survival, loss and recovery.
Daisy explained that her journey began in Oman, where she worked for about a year and managed to save enough money to buy land in Uganda. Encouraged by promises of better opportunities, she later moved to Turkey after connecting with a recruiter.
According to her, life in Turkey initially seemed manageable because jobs were readily available in factories, hotels, farms and domestic work.
However, tightening immigration policies made it increasingly difficult for foreigners to obtain legal residence permits.
She revealed that despite applying for proper documentation, authorities rejected many applications as part of efforts to reduce the number of foreigners living in the country.
As a result, Daisy overstayed and was eventually arrested and placed in a deportation centre before being sent back to Uganda.
Despite the challenges abroad, the young woman said she used her earnings to slowly construct a two-bedroom house back home. She credited a trusted friend with supervising the project while she remained in Turkey.
However, returning home proved emotionally devastating. Daisy disclosed that she arrived in Uganda without money, furniture or even transport fare from the airport.
“For several days, I slept on the floor with only clothes and pillows to keep warm,” she recalled, adding that neighbours later came to her aid with blankets and household support.
Now back home for about six weeks, Daisy says she is focused on healing emotionally and rebuilding her life.
The graduate in office management hopes to secure employment, complete her house and venture into kitchen gardening and content creation through her YouTube channel, Desley J.