Changing lives of Sex Workers and Irish Bankers
on Colm in Kenya (Kenya), 01/May/2010 11:33, 34 days ago
Everyone gets to do cool things in their jobs.In my last job in the bank I worked in, I got to play in our client entertainment days on the Druids Glen Golf Course– the Augusta of Europe.This week, working with SOLWODI (Solidarity with Women in Distress - an organisation that work with Female Sex Workers, Children affected by sexual exploitation and Trafficking in People) on their communications material, I got interview rehabilitated Female Sex Workers (FSW) to learn more about their struggles and how they’re lives have been changed by SOLWODI.Yeah, Golf? Pssh!I had three interviews. My first was with a 27 year old rehabilitated female sex work called Joyce* with the help of a translator.Joyce answered each question I asked with almost tangible amounts of confidence, determination and pride.There was no smiles, timidity or shyness. She had come to tell me her story, a story I sensed she had told several times before but was no less impressive because of that.Joyce came from a big family and dropped out of school early (as so many girls in large impoverished families are forced to do).She was brought up in Marikani, a town just outside Mombasa on the Nairobi road– a route with heavy trucker traffic – and a huge market for female sex workers (FSW).With no source of income and no way to sustain herself, Joyce explained to me she felt she had no choice but to sleep with men for money. While doing this became pregnant.I asked her how she came to know of SOLWODI and she told me that through the International Centre of Reproductive Health she was referred to SOLWODI’s Peer Educator programme where she trained as a peer educator for fellow FSWs. Later, with SOLWODI’s help, her peer group set up a self-help group and a table banking scheme (a small scale savings and lendings group).Through this she managed to get a loan of Ksh1,000 to buy and sell vegetables, her first definite steps toward a new life. SOLWODI then linked her to a larger Micro Finance group who gave her basic business training and another loan of Ksh7,000 which gave her enough capital to grow her business, operate in four market days in her local area and develop a decent level of weekly income.She told her story with well versed clarity, each question asked was responded to with no hesitation and delivered eye to eye.During these interviews, what you are really looking for is one good quote, something that really shows a positive change in someone life– donors love that.And when I asked her how SOLWODI had changed her, her confidence for the first time was betrayed by a touch of emotion revealed as a gentle tremble in her voice. Almost involuntarily she raised her hand to her chest:“I’m now taking my daughter to Private School^ and paying for all her fees and taking the responsibility for her future so she will not have to face the same problems that I have”she said as if repeating a solemn vow, a determined commitment to make the most of this new brighter future.We talked for about 20 minutes, a good success story was documented and one excellent quote sourced. I had pretty much got all the information I needed and in all honesty, it was fantastically inspiring to listen to her.It was some from sort of cheeky curiosity, I wanted ask one more question, one I wasn’t sure if was appropriate to ask. But I wanted to establish the measure of her change in her life compared to her old.I asked her to tell me what life is like as a sex worker.For the first time she paused and looked at the ground. After a very brief moment, perhaps a second, she lifted her head and looked me in the eye and answered.:“Terrible. I never want to do it again.”Indeed.And that was it, interview over. I shook her hand and thanked her and tried to express my gratitude. She smiled, said goodbye to the SOLWODI programme officer who helped us and disappeared down a long dark corridor and out into the Mombasa sunshine, back to her life selling vegetables to pay for the basic needs of herself and her daughter.Good work days no longer consist of playing golf with bankers and their clients. I guess it no longer does for them either.Work life has changed a lot for me.But not as much as it has done for Joyce.Thank God for that.*Joyce is not her real name. ^Private primary school is not as plush or as exclusive as it is at home but offers smaller class sizes and therefore a better education