On her first day of work, Adau realised she had made a big mistake. We got our uniforms, not even knowing exactly what we were going to do. From the first day of work we were taken to the drones factory. We stepped in and we saw drones everywhere and people working. Then they took us to our different work stations. Twenty-three-years-old and originally from South Sudan, Adau says last year she was lured to the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia, on the promise of a full-time job.
She had applied to the Alabuga Start programme, a recruitment scheme targeting 18-to-22-year-old women, mostly from Africa but also increasingly from Latin America and South-East Asia. It promises participants professional training in areas including logistics, catering and hospitality. However, the programme has faced criticism for misleading recruitment practices and forcing young recruits to work in dangerous conditions for less pay than promised.
The Alabuga Start programme gained attention recently when South African influencers advertising it were accused of promoting human trafficking. By some estimates over 1,000 women have been recruited from Africa to work in Alabuga's weapons factories. Adau, who asked the BBC not to use her surname or picture for her safety, recounted her experience of discovering the true nature of her employment.
I wanted to work in fields that are not normally done by women. It is very hard for a woman to come across fields like tower-crane operation, especially within my country. However, upon arrival, she was shocked to find the reality of her job was vastly different. We all had a lot of questions. We had all signed up to work in technical fields, but we all ended up working in the drone factory.
Adau later learned that Alabuga was involved in producing Shahed 136 drones, which have been used in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Her journey took a dangerous turn after a drone strike attacked the Alabuga Special Economic Zone during her second week of work, highlighting the life-threatening conditions faced by these young women.
Despite initial hopes for better opportunities, many have reported feeling trapped and exploited, with a significant number unable to afford to return home. Adau described her experience as devastating, voicing concerns over the moral implications of contributing to military production and the toll on her mental health. I can't believe this is what I'm doing now. It felt horrible having a hand in constructing something that is taking so many lives.\
She had applied to the Alabuga Start programme, a recruitment scheme targeting 18-to-22-year-old women, mostly from Africa but also increasingly from Latin America and South-East Asia. It promises participants professional training in areas including logistics, catering and hospitality. However, the programme has faced criticism for misleading recruitment practices and forcing young recruits to work in dangerous conditions for less pay than promised.
The Alabuga Start programme gained attention recently when South African influencers advertising it were accused of promoting human trafficking. By some estimates over 1,000 women have been recruited from Africa to work in Alabuga's weapons factories. Adau, who asked the BBC not to use her surname or picture for her safety, recounted her experience of discovering the true nature of her employment.
I wanted to work in fields that are not normally done by women. It is very hard for a woman to come across fields like tower-crane operation, especially within my country. However, upon arrival, she was shocked to find the reality of her job was vastly different. We all had a lot of questions. We had all signed up to work in technical fields, but we all ended up working in the drone factory.
Adau later learned that Alabuga was involved in producing Shahed 136 drones, which have been used in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Her journey took a dangerous turn after a drone strike attacked the Alabuga Special Economic Zone during her second week of work, highlighting the life-threatening conditions faced by these young women.
Despite initial hopes for better opportunities, many have reported feeling trapped and exploited, with a significant number unable to afford to return home. Adau described her experience as devastating, voicing concerns over the moral implications of contributing to military production and the toll on her mental health. I can't believe this is what I'm doing now. It felt horrible having a hand in constructing something that is taking so many lives.\
