HARSH ECONOMY FORCED ME INTO SEX WORK
… Widowed Lusaka woman says desperation to educate her children forced her into prostitution
By Mast Reporter
THE country’s harsh economic conditions forced me into prostitution to support my three children, a Lusaka-based sex worker has said after five years in the trade.
Pamela, not her real name, said she joined prostitution to help pay her bills and support her three children’s education.
In an exclusive interview with The Mast, Pamela said she previously lived in Kabwe where she ran a small business, but due to changing economic conditions, she later relocated to Lusaka’s Mahopo area.
She explained that she turned to prostitution to raise school fees for her children after losing her husband when her first-born daughter was only 10-years -old.
Pamela said she was proud that her first-born daughter had since completed nursing training, while her second-born child recently completed Grade 12 with good results.
“No one at home knows that I do such a thing [prostitution]. I have kept it a secret from my children. Usually, I just tell them I have gone for a business trip for some time so that they do not get suspicious,” she said.
Pamela said life had not been easy for women raising children without the support of a partner.
She said that while engaging in prostitution, she does not attach emotions to her clients, as she views it strictly as a business.
“I don’t attach feelings. No affection or attachment to clients. This is just strictly business. I have been doing it for over five years. I am lucky that I am still alive today to tell this story. My 22-year-old daughter finished nursing now, this to me is grace,” she said.
She said on a good day or night she could attend to more than five clients, which often meant higher earnings.
Pamela, however, said business was no longer as good as before, as fewer clients were visiting due to the prevailing economic hardships.
“As things stand, we are not having business because the economy is hostile and for us it means people will no longer need our services. Honestly speaking, I don’t like what I do. But circumstances forced me to do so. I have tried to stop and live a normal life while making clean money, but the world has always been against me. I have tried the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) so many times, but have not been considered. “My prayer is for my daughter to find a job so that I can stop,” she said.
