Inside Albertine Region's dark trade fuelled by worker influx

Vulnerable children are being turned into commodities for an expanding oil-driven nightlife. However, as dusk sets in, another disturbing scene unfolds: girls who appear barely in their teens arrive to bathe along the shoreline, seemingly without fear of scrutiny. Some appear to be as young as 12 or 13. They undress, bathe openly and change into their ‘evening’ clothes. What initially looks like the innocent routine of village girls quickly takes a more sinister turn when adult men saunter towards them, gesticulating and whispering what seem like words of endearment. Coy giggles from the pubescent girls, followed by the playful banter, only point to one thing: transactional sex negotiations.

Beneath the sunset’s beauty lies a darker economy, one where vulnerable children are being turned into commodities for an expanding oil-driven nightlife.