Australian mother ‘homeless’ after stranded in Africa for months

A Sydney mother who has been stranded in Africa for the past six months has finally returned to Australia, only to find that she may not have a home to return to.

Melissa Inkster, 44, arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on March 23 and was stranded after the country closed its borders due to Covid-19.

The past six months in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been brutal, according to Sydney’s mother.

As if being separated from her children wasn’t enough, she was also robbed multiple times, suffered a miscarriage, nearly stabbed, and was forced to spend her life savings just to stay alive.

Arriving in Australia on Wednesday night should have been a relief, but Sydney’s mother found she could become homeless when her two-week quarantine at the hotel is over.

“I have an eviction notice for my place at Curl Curl. So now I’m basically homeless. I’m screwed,” Inkster told news.com.au.

He has faced multiple canceled flights in his attempt to return to Australia after the borders were reopened.

She was fired from the first flight she had booked home because Australia’s strict restrictions on returning travelers meant her economy ticket was excluded.

He was then offered a second change to fly, but only if he bought a $ 15,000 business class ticket.

Having no money, Inkster’s friends raised funds to buy the ticket to Sydney. But an email error from the agent meant the airline never received the confirmation, meaning it had to wait another week before flying.

Inkster said the delay in getting home resulted in his real estate on Sydney’s North Beaches issuing him an eviction notice.

“We had a payment plan in place with the real estate because I thought I would return sooner. But due to the flight cancellation and then the clerical error, I was delayed and could not meet the payment plan,” he said.

“They basically said you have two weeks to pay your rent or they’ll evict you. I’m stuck in quarantine. I have assets to sell, but I can’t do anything right now.”

Inkster had gone to meet her fiancé, an Australian construction worker, Joe Bagala, in March in Kisangani.

It was intended to be a short humanitarian trip so that the couple could establish a charity for the residents of the miserable and impoverished Tshopo province.

In early August, Inkster flew to the capital of Kinshasa on his own, as he had to fly from there to get to Sydney.

She said her fiancé raised enough money to visit her a few days before she got on the flight.

Bagala is still stuck in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Inkster is desperately trying to raise funds to buy him a ticket, revealing that he worries that if he doesn’t leave soon, he may not survive.

“I am so worried about him. He could die there. No one knows what it is like. It is expensive and you have to pay for protection. It is very dangerous,” she said.

“He has returned there without anyone and I am worried that he will not get out alive.”

Not only have the couple been terrified for their safety for the past six months, they have also suffered a tragic loss.

After their arrival, Inkster, who has two children from a previous marriage, became pregnant and was determined to return home as soon as the borders were opened.

The couple spent what little money they had to get a flight home to Inkster, but a week before she was due to leave, she suffered a miscarriage.

After losing the baby, the mother underwent an “unreliable” procedure that left her with an ongoing gynecological infection.

The time of the Sydney woman in the Congo has been marred by tragedy and violence.

He said that although most of the locals were charming, it was still a very dangerous place and people could be “ruthless.”

One morning she was robbed and that same day another man pulled out a knife and chased her in another robbery attempt.

Inkster said she was “a second away” from being stabbed in the stomach before her fiancé jumped in front of her and struck the attacker in the face.

Now back in Australia, Inkster said she was very excited to see her children when she comes out of quarantine.

“I can’t wait to see them and their faces. I think they’re going to have to fight me to get me to stop hugging them,” he said.