…As religious leaders denounce acts of abuse against the girl child
Tinaani Nyabereka
Gweru- International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or personally Affected by HIV and Aids (INERELA)-Zimbabwe has taken strides to empower commercial sex workers as part of efforts to fight stigmatization and combat all forms of abuse being encountered by sex workers in society.
The network which is made up of religious leaders, was established in 2002 with the aim to promote the fight against stigma and discrimination on HIV and Aids, by promoting agents of change in the communities.
Speaking to this publication after an engagement meeting with sex workers last week in Gweru, Inerela Zimbabwe Director Paul Carries Juru said the purpose of engaging young girls who are into sex work was meant to come up with possible solutions to help them as acts of discrimination and abuse were on the rise.
“We are here to assist the girl child, we know her challenges are real and she needs our help as the church. They are our children and we cannot forsake them because they need our help. A lot of discrimination is associated with their work, even some of the terms which are used to describe them are very insulting.
“The reason why the church has thought of coming forward is because they want these girls to understand that pastors, overseers, bishops and all religious servants were not only servants of God but also their fathers and mothers. We want sex workers to come and be part of the church, we want them to turn their faith to Christ. We want them to work with their hands, do projects and live differently,” Juru said.
lNERELA change agent and Bethel International Ministries Overseer Margret Tedzerai however urged the women to take good care of their kids and apply for birth certificates to enable their children to go to school.
“We want you girls to get proper upkeep for your children though the economy is not doing well. We understand you are going through various challenges, but we are also advocating for you to get proper jobs or self-sustaining projects to help you generate money for your welfare.
“You are not outcasts but rather you are the people whom we really need in the church, we want you to come to church and be part of the church. We want you to live a transformed life. We know it’s not by choice that you are in streets but there is need for us to find a common ground to assist each other. As a church, we have work to do in as far as assisting those who are said to be lost.
” Let me urge you to go to the Registrar’s office and collect birth certificates for your children, don’t wait that the father will come. If the father rejected the pregnancy, what guarantee do we have that he will come back and take care of the child? Take birth certificates and make sure your children attend school .We want your kids to have better lives, they must not emulate how you brought them up,” she said.
One sex worker (who chose to remain anonymous) said the streets are harsh and unbearable.
“The streets are rough, we are facing all forms of abuse. Some don’t even want to use protection simply because they will be bidding money. At the end of the day you discover that we are at risk of contracting diseases, sometimes other clients refuse to pay and some can even beat you for no reason. We have grievances but we don’t have anywhere to report,” she said.
Another sex worker Emmaculate Tariro said she was failing to attend normal church services due to discrimination.
“I want to go to church and worship my Lord just like any other person, but it’s hard. I also want to sing in praise and worship. I want to preach and tell congregants what the world is like outside there, but I don’t have that platform, am denied that opportunity due to the work I do.
“It’s not by choice that I am what I am now, circumstances and situations forced me. Some of us grew without parents and no relatives thought of looking after us. I opted to find means to survive as a human being.
“I am grateful to some of local church leaders such as Bishop Lameck Ruzvidzo of CMC, he took me like his child and welcomed me. I have decided to follow Christ and shun some of the street work. Please welcome us when we visit your churches as we are not there to confront anyone but we want to follow Christ,” said Tariro.
Narrating how she escaped death by a whisker, Priscilla Munyanyi who is also into commercial sex work said she was set ablaze by a client in an incident she encountered some years back.
“I almost died. I was set ablaze by one of the clients who hooked me up for two days, violence only erupted after I told him I was withdrawing my services as he could not offer more money. So this man took advantage that I was asleep and poured paraffin before setting me on fire.
“I was rescued by neighbors who then poured water on me. I stayed in hospital for 36 months and as you can see I suffered third degree burns. Even my children were afraid to stay with me considering the wounds I had. I am grateful to God he served me, I know he has plans with my life,” she added.
A Woman Advocate, Florence Guzha who is also the director of Ebenezer Trust, a humanitarian based organization said women were wonderfully made as they carried the image of God.
“We say no to acts of discrimination, abuse and violence. When I look at a woman, I see the hand of God. A woman was wonderfully made, let’s respect women despite what they might be doing as means of survival.
“We want you girls to turn your lives to Christ, he is the only helper in times of trouble. We want you to own land, do projects and look after your families. Any man who abuse a woman goes against God’s creation,” Guzha said.
