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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu
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THE National Aids Council (NAC) working in partnership with the Centre for Sexual Health and HIV and Aids Research Zimbabwe (CeSHHAR) has empowered sex workers in Beitbridge Town with knowledge and services on how to conduct their operations while lowering the risk of HIV infection.

The town has a drop-in centre where sex workers access clinical services and have the opportunity to interact as peers for their personal growth. The HIV prevalence rate remains high among sex workers, which prompted NAC to roll out intervention strategies to curb transmission of HIV.

Services being offered at the centre include HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for those who are HIV negative, initiating HIV positive clients on antiretroviral treatment (ART), viral load monitoring, gender based violence response, sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment.

Ms Winnie Phiri (55) who has been a sex worker for about 20 years said the CeSHHAR programme has helped to enlighten and empower her.
She said she is now imparting the knowledge she received to fellow sex workers.

“I got into sex work after my husband died. I was struggling to fend for my five children and that’s why I got into sex work. A neighbour of mine introduced me to the sex work business. At first I was clueless and I didn’t use protection and as a result I contracted HIV. I also used to smoke dagga.

“A team from CeSHHAR identified and enrolled me under their programme. In 2012, they made me a peer educator. I began engaging fellow sex workers that I was smoking dagga with and I introduced them to an improved lifestyle. I’m now focusing more on peer education,” she said.

Ms Phiri said she is now using her experience as a sex worker to conscientise other sex workers on the risks associated with the profession. She said during the peak of her operations, she was not educated on HIV issues and clients would take advantage of her.

Ms Phiri said the services offered by CeSHHAR are crucial and urged fellow sex workers to take up the services.
Ms Precious Mwanzi (32), a mother of six, turned to sex work after her husband died in 2020.

She said another woman introduced her to sex work. Ms Mwanzi said she operates at a truck stop in the border town. She said her clients were mainly married truck drivers who were in need of pleasure as they spend most of their time apart from their spouses.

“At first I didn’t know that there was something called PrEP and that I had to use protection. I used to give in to the demands of clients out of desperation.

Some men used to sleep with me without paying but I later learnt that I had to ask for payment upfront. Another challenge I used to face was that when business was low, I would take any amount so that I could go home with some cash.

“I was identified by my counterparts from CeSHHAR and their programme brought great change to my life. They tested me for HIV and after I came out negative they put me under PrEP. My target is to ensure that I maintain a negative status. I was advised on finding an alternative source of income so that I don’t only rely on sex work,” she said.

Ms Mwanzi said she cooks and sells isitshwala at Beitbridge Border Post during the day and in the evening she operates as a sex worker. She said her sex work days were numbered as she is growing old and she is working on having a reliable alternative source of income.

Ms Mwanzi said she now has fewer clients because the men prefer younger sex workers.
Ms Precious Ndlovu (23) who has been operating as a sex worker for two years said she has been enrolled under the Zimbabwe Health Intervention DREAMS skills training programme. She is set to study motor mechanics at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic College.

Beitbridge District Aids Coordinator, Mr Edward Mulaudzi said the district has between 400 to 800 sex workers. He said about 350 sex workers are on ART.

Mr Mulaudzi said NAC working with CeSHHAR and the Ministry of Health and Child Care through the drop-in centre were offering services to the key population of sex workers.

He said they were also working with other organisations such as Zimbabwe Health Intervention (ZHI) to empower some of the young sex workers through short courses and continuation of their education.

Mr Mulaudzi said the intervention was in a bid to ensure that sex workers engage in safe sex in order to stop the transmission of HIV.

“Beitbridge is one of the busiest ports of entry in the country. We have some of the sex workers coming from as far as Mutoko, Murehwa and Victoria Falls. That’s why we chose this model to give services to our key population. We have CeSHHAR here offering services to sex workers such as PrEP and condom promotion.

“We are also working with other organisations such as ZHI so that young sex workers are empowered through short courses. If they’re not empowered and don’t have money, they won’t be able to negotiate for safe sex as they will be desperate for money.

“If the sex workers are empowered and have their own source of income outside sex work, they will be able to make objective and responsible decisions,” he said.

Mr Mulaudzi said the positivity rate in the district is 11,7 percent while the incidence rate is 0,30 percent. He said the positivity rate is high among sex workers hence the need to engage them.
Mr Mulaudzi said the positivity rate in the district was 21 percent but they have recorded a decrease as a result of the programmes being implemented by NAC and its partners.

CeSHHAR Beitbridge outreach worker, Mr Tonderai Rupiya said the drop-in centre also serves as a safe space for sex workers to support each other in economic strengthening, share their experiences and successes, interact as well as build resilience.

“The interaction among the sex workers here at the drop-in centre helps them to learn and comfort each other. They’re able to build one another and the experience helps them realise that they’re not alone. We’re also able to give them clinical services such as PrEP, STI screening, adherence counselling, HIV testing, use of contraception and education on practicing safe sex.

“We’re also working with ZHI under an economic strengthening programme where young sex workers are being equipped with skills to embark on income generating projects and conduct internal savings and lending schemes. We also support our older sex workers to do self-groups where they work together to build capital and start income generating activities,” he said.

Mr Rupiya said they move around hotspots in order to identify sex workers and enroll them under the programme.

He said they also have sex worker cadres who identify their peers and encourage them to take up the services on offer.
Mr Rupiya said their target is to enroll all sex workers in the district and have them take up the services without defaulting. — @DubeMatutu