Roseline Atieno, also known as Rosie, is a Siaya County native who has been in the news for a few weeks now. She gained notoriety after her heartfelt farewell videos to her employer and their children in Lebanon went viral.
Rosie talks candidly about her life in Lebanon after spending Christmas break back in Kenya. She had moved to Lebanon in 2021 in search of better opportunities.
In her own words, she shares, “I went in October 2021, at a time when my marriage wasn’t working. I decided to seek greener pastures to provide a better life for my three kids. I was apprehensive before going, but I prayed to God for a good family.”
Asked about how she felt after the video went viral, Rosie said, “I never expected something like that. To me it was very overwhelming,” adding that she had mixed emotions as she got happy and scared at the same time.
Reflecting on her first encounter with the family at the airport, Rosie said, “We blended from the first day.”
Describing them as good people and content creators, Rosie mentions, “They are good people and they are also content creators. It was normal when we met, and sometimes they recorded me playing with the kids.”
Despite feeling lonely when she first went to Lebanon, Rosie said the kids she cared for made her feel better. Expressing deep affection for the children, Rosie states, “I miss the way I used to treat them. Those kids made me not miss my kids so much. They filled that emptiness that I was feeling when I was there and away from my kids. I just love them so much.”
Looking ahead, Rosie hopes for a reunion between her Lebanese employers and her children, saying, “To the family, I would love them to come and visit Kenya and meet my kids.”
Addressing the emotions of her departure, Rosie explains, “I cried because I had mixed feelings about meeting my kids after two years and leaving kids I had taken care of for two years who treated me like their parents.”
Asked about her feelings while in Lebanon, Rosie expresses, “I felt like I was home. The only difference is that they were paying me. The kids appreciate me for who I am.”
On the prospect of returning to Lebanon, Rosie concludes, “I will go back, but I have not set the date when. I will work with them to be with the kids until they are a bit bigger.”
