June 2 is marked every year as International Sex Workers Day.
The day seeks to draw attention to the exploitative working conditions of prostitutes.
I spoke to Akos, 37, about her life as a sex worker.
Akos says she is a widow with 4 teenage children.
She claims the death of her husband forced her to rely on handouts from relatives and sympathizers to look after her family.
She remembers that day 6 months ago when her friend Adzo, also a sex worker, introduced her to the profession.
She also recollects with shame the first day she gets paid for having sex with a client.
Akos says she detests what she does for a living but she feels trapped as she only has a basic education and no skills for a legal job.
She claims the death of her husband forced her to rely on handouts from relatives and sympathizers to look after her family.
She remembers that day 6 months ago when her friend Adzo, also a sex worker, introduced her to the profession.
She also recollects with shame the first day she gets paid for having sex with a client.
Akos says she detests what she does for a living but she feels trapped as she only has a basic education and no skills for a legal job.
A typical day begins at nightfall.
Akos stands by the street and entices potential customers to approach her ‘to talk business’.
She says she has numerous competitors and no friends ‘in this business’.
When a car stops, she hurries over to negotiate.
Her fee varies, depending on her assessment of the customer’s ability to pay.
Where she has sex depends on the client: in a hotel or at the client’s house.
Contraceptives?
Akos claims she insists the men use condoms but she lives in constant fear of catching sexually transmitted diseases.
Are the men violent?
She is grateful no one has beaten her before but she knows sex workers who have been severely brutalized.
So the fear is real that she could be the next victim.
And what about the police?
Akos says they conduct swoops from time to time but always release the prostitutes with a warning not to return to the streets.
Akos stands by the street and entices potential customers to approach her ‘to talk business’.
She says she has numerous competitors and no friends ‘in this business’.
When a car stops, she hurries over to negotiate.
Her fee varies, depending on her assessment of the customer’s ability to pay.
Where she has sex depends on the client: in a hotel or at the client’s house.
Contraceptives?
Akos claims she insists the men use condoms but she lives in constant fear of catching sexually transmitted diseases.
Are the men violent?
She is grateful no one has beaten her before but she knows sex workers who have been severely brutalized.
So the fear is real that she could be the next victim.
And what about the police?
Akos says they conduct swoops from time to time but always release the prostitutes with a warning not to return to the streets.
What does the future hold for Akos?
She prays for the day she can save enough money to quit the streets.
She dreams of owning a small store where she can sell provisions to look after her children.
What does she hate most about being a sex worker?
The insults she gets from other women about what she does.
Akos thinks it is nothing but hypocrisy.
She sees no difference between prostitutes and unmarried women who take money from their partners after sex.
Her greatest fear?
Her children finding out that she sleeps with men for cash.
She swears she would kill herself if that happened.
And what about her spiritual life?
Akos says she knows her profession is immoral but she believes her heart is good and that God will forgive her.
Listen to my interview with Akos the sex worker
She prays for the day she can save enough money to quit the streets.
She dreams of owning a small store where she can sell provisions to look after her children.
What does she hate most about being a sex worker?
The insults she gets from other women about what she does.
Akos thinks it is nothing but hypocrisy.
She sees no difference between prostitutes and unmarried women who take money from their partners after sex.
Her greatest fear?
Her children finding out that she sleeps with men for cash.
She swears she would kill herself if that happened.
And what about her spiritual life?
Akos says she knows her profession is immoral but she believes her heart is good and that God will forgive her.
Listen to my interview with Akos the sex worker
I pray for the day she repents. Heaven will be so proud of her repentance. Can't she borrow some money to start her small scale business and later pay back? I think that will help.
ReplyDeleteApart from what I published earlier, there are hawkers all over the country and her excuse as having only a jhs certificate should not be an excuse for her current "profession". There are people with worse conditions, yet prostitution was never the option. She should wise up and be wise.
ReplyDeleteThis story reminds me orf a movie i watched, THE ESCORT. Her hopes of being able to get a certain amount of money to be able to continue her education. It is a decision she has to make to either continue or stop. The question is, who will help her. If she has the help she needs i believe she will stop. Its better we stop pointing fingers at peoole because of the situation they find themselves in and rather help them. We all have logs in our eyes we are trying to remove. This is her log she is trying to remove. Let the one who knows no sin cast the first stone. Even though she has to wise up, she needs to be enlightened and with the word of God. God appreciates people who help others with these kind of situations. Like the escort she can get out of it nand start a new life.
ReplyDeletei believe this calls for good men out there to help people like Akos to live the God purpose life. we most at times spend money on certain less important things and these little drops can be invested into some of these prostitutes just for them to quit and start a business for them selves. Love is the best tool to free this people and not "frown".
ReplyDelete