90 women give up prostitution
Aug 04, 2009
OVER 90 former sex workers have appealed to a visiting delegation of members of the European Parliament to help them get market for their products.
By Francis Emorut
OVER 90 former sex workers have appealed to a visiting delegation of members of the European Parliament to help them get market for their products.
The former sex workers are now reformed and engage in income-generating activities such as bakery, tailoring, hairdressing and making handicrafts.
They made the appeal while meeting the MPs at their centre in Bwaise-Kazo, a Kampala suburb on Monday.
“One of the challenges we face is finding market for our products,†said Esther Bikirwa.
The MPs bought some of the items such as necklaces and bags.
The former sex workers were helped to reform by Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), a non-government organisation with a clinic in Bwaise-Kazo. It is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency and Japan Trust Fund.
Margaret Namuyobo, who is charge of the clinic, explained that the 90 former sex workers had reformed and were eager to learn new ways of life.
Most of the former sex workers said they joined the trade due to lack of school fees and after the death of their parents.
The women, who prefer to be called moonlight stars, scrambled for clothes the MPs distributed for their babies.
The women have been recruited as volunteers to carry out peer education.
Faridah Nalubega said with the training she has acquired, she has managed to convince some of her former workmates to abandon prostitution.
However, Mariam Namatungo complained that their role as peer educators has been hampered by the fact that they have no identification cards.
Services offered by RHU to the community include counselling and health education, HIV/AIDS counselling and testing and post-abortion care. Others are family planning services and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.
OVER 90 former sex workers have appealed to a visiting delegation of members of the European Parliament to help them get market for their products.
The former sex workers are now reformed and engage in income-generating activities such as bakery, tailoring, hairdressing and making handicrafts.
They made the appeal while meeting the MPs at their centre in Bwaise-Kazo, a Kampala suburb on Monday.
“One of the challenges we face is finding market for our products,†said Esther Bikirwa.
The MPs bought some of the items such as necklaces and bags.
The former sex workers were helped to reform by Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU), a non-government organisation with a clinic in Bwaise-Kazo. It is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency and Japan Trust Fund.
Margaret Namuyobo, who is charge of the clinic, explained that the 90 former sex workers had reformed and were eager to learn new ways of life.
Most of the former sex workers said they joined the trade due to lack of school fees and after the death of their parents.
The women, who prefer to be called moonlight stars, scrambled for clothes the MPs distributed for their babies.
The women have been recruited as volunteers to carry out peer education.
Faridah Nalubega said with the training she has acquired, she has managed to convince some of her former workmates to abandon prostitution.
However, Mariam Namatungo complained that their role as peer educators has been hampered by the fact that they have no identification cards.
Services offered by RHU to the community include counselling and health education, HIV/AIDS counselling and testing and post-abortion care. Others are family planning services and treatment of sexually transmitted infections.