Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

KENYA: You don't have to be a sex worker or bandit
17 Apr 2009 15:40:29 GMT

Background

•  Food and hunger

•  African hunger

•  E. African hunger

•  Children

MORE >>
ISIOLO, 17 April 2009 (IRIN) - Much of Kenya is experiencing severe food shortages. Now a new programme is helping women forced into sex work by drought, poverty and conflict to get off the streets and pursue less risky occupations.

The initiative in eastern Kenya by the Arid Lands Office and several NGOs is still in its first month of operation but has so far funded 30 sex workers, helping them gain skills to earn a safe, legal living.

It has also provided small grants totalling US$16,500 to 115 impoverished women and young people to develop skills and broaden their opportunities.

"The programme is the first of its kind. It is very popular because it is addressing both health and socio-economic challenges facing our community," said Lordman Lekulkulai, a programme officer at the Arid Lands Office. "We aim to treat the symptoms of problems that lead to HIV."

The authorities hope the grants will also reduce the number of young men who turn to banditry and highway robbery to earn a living.

Pastoralist communities in the north and east have seen their sheep and goat herds decimated by goat plague, a viral disease, and increasing clashes over water and pasture have driven ever more people to migrate to urban areas.

A survey found that women and girls from the rural areas of Eastern Province were flocking to the town of Isiolo to support their families by commercial sex work. "They are putting their lives at risk because of poverty," said Lekulkulai.

Local health officials said Isiolo district's HIV prevalence rose from 2.8 percent in 2007 to 4.7 percent in 2008. "Girls cannot be bandits; they use their bodies to support their families," said Fatuma, a beneficiary of the new programme.

After she fell pregnant and dropped out of school, Fatuma came to Isiolo and turned to sex work to support her child. "It is as dangerous as being a bandit," she said. With the grant from the programme, she plans to buy a sewing machine and design ladies clothing.

"I am confident that I will succeed and eventually have a family - I was already tired and ashamed of the life in the street."

na/kr/ks/he

© IRIN. All rights reserved. More humanitarian news and analysis: http://www.IRINnews.org


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

Emergencies

•  E. African hunger

•  African hunger

MORE >>

NGO latest

•  Conflict & siege threaten Gaza’s young minds, claims new World Vision report
World Vision Middle East/Eastern Europe/ Central Asia

•  Catholic Relief Services to Launch Holistic, Market-Based Approach to Agricultural Development
CRS - USA

•  Indonesia: New beginnings for young survivors
IFRC - Switzerland

•  Sudan: responding to humanitarian needs in rural areas
ICRC - Switzerland

•  Colombia: far too many civilians continue to be targeted in the armed conflict
ICRC - Switzerland

MORE >>

Latest news

•  KENYA: You don't have to be a sex worker or bandit

•  British Tamil leader convicted of terrorism charges

•  ANALYSIS-Cheap food blunts crisis impact on Bangladesh economy

•  INTERVIEW-Afghan Shi'ite law not true to Islam-female governor

•  Q&A: Acclaimed British actress finds new role as humanitarian

MORE >>

Background information

Briefings
E. African hunger - [Who works where]
African hunger - [Who works where]


Related articles

Breaking stories
 KENYA: You don't have to be a sex worker or bandit (1 minute ago)

British Tamil leader convicted of terrorism charges (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 Responding to HIV/AIDS in an emergency (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 Conflict & siege threaten Gaza’s young minds, claims new World Vision report (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Matt Dillon on Supporting South Sudan (1 minute ago)

Maps
 MAP: Weather hazards impacts assessment for Africa( April 2 - 8, 2009) (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-04-17T120123Z_01_ISL10_RTRIDSP_2_PAKISTAN-CLERIC_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/ISL10.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-04-17T111936Z_01_KAB10_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-AFGHANISTAN_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/KAB10.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-04-17T111748Z_01_KAB08_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-AFGHANISTAN_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/KAB08.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-04-16T143521Z_01_TBL07_RTRIDSP_2_GEORGIA-PROTEST_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/TBL07.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-04-15T140822Z_01_JER02_RTRIDSP_2_PALESTINIANS-ISRAEL_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JER02.htm

Muslim women and supporters of Abdul Aziz, a radical Pakistani cleric and the former chief cleric of the Red Mosque, attend Friday prayers at the Red Mosque, Islamabad April 17, 2009. ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Fri Apr 17 15:40:48 2009