In the semi-darkness, a young
girl stands by the roadside. As a car approaches, she turns towards the
flare of the headlights and for a fleeting moment her face is lit up.
The thick layer of makeup and the precocious hairstyle make it
difficult to tell her age – but she is still in her early teens. The
car passes and she slumps into the darkness again. The only sound now
is of the surf tumbling against the shore and some distant music. If
she is lucky, she will get picked up two, perhaps three, times. For
those who know, this is called "auto-stop".
Lumley beach, in
Freetown's western district, has become the abode of increasing numbers
of such girls working as prostitutes or "Kolonko" as they are known
locally. They work the beach, and the beach bars/clubs that are located
here. It is a stone's throw from the Uniosil country office, and many
of the city's hotels.
The brutal decade-long war was declared
officially over in 2002. Elections were held last year, that were
generally considered peaceful and democratic, and saw a victory for the
opposition party, the APC, and the election of Ernest Bai Koroma as
president.
While political stability may have returned to Sierra
Leone, the country is still reeling from the legacy of war. Children,
in particular, have taken the brunt of the impact. A whole generation
has grown up under the duress of war: as child soldiers, victims of
physical/psychological abuse, many in dysfunctional households, having
lost one or more of their family members – quite often being witness to
their deaths and those of others in their community. They have gone
from the innocence of childhood to assuming roles as breadwinners
overnight.
Since the war, more and more young girls are turning
to the streets to make a living. They are no longer contending with
rebels and guns, but are now facing a new threat: HIV and Aids.
Official
figures from the National HIV/Aids Secretariat suggest a national
prevalence rate of 1.5% (2005), which is a 60% increase from the
previous survey in 2002 (0.9%). While this is a relatively low figure
compared to other sub-Saharan countries, (eg Ivory Coast 4.7%, Uganda
7.1%, Malawi 12.7%), it is generally agreed that the rate is steadily
rising. The infection rates amongst marginalised groups, such as
commercial sex workers, have been estimated to be as high as 36%,
although no comprehensive data is yet available.
The key issue
for Sierra Leone has been how to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids in a
post-conflict situation. This is a major challenge in a country where
each sector has demanded urgent support and funding: from health and
education to infrastructure and power.
Still, some positive
strides have been made. The establishment of the National Aids
Secretariat (NAS) in 2002, the main coordinating agency in the country,
called for a multi-sector multi-partner approach – recognising that the
disease is not solely bound to the health sector. NAS and its partners
have been instrumental in drafting legislation with the first
Prevention and Control of HIV and Aids Act passed in Parliament in
2007. Support has additionally been garnered from the political
establishment with a high-level National Aids Council (NAC) headed by
the President.
In a recent NAC meeting, President Koroma said
that the spread of the virus "is of major concern to his government."
He added that "this requires all sectors of our society to come
together in a common struggle to reverse the spread of HIV infection."
While
the public addresses by parliamentarians and other stakeholders are
certainly impressive, the situation on the ground remains less
desirable. Although test sites and treatment facilities have been set
up countrywide, the real issue continues to be tackling
behavioural/attitudinal change at all levels.
In spite of
education and awareness campaigns which encompass issues ranging from
prevention to therapy, there are still many marginalised groups that
are not being reached. Currently, only a handful of organisations work
directly with communities to raise awareness and offer support and
counselling.
One of these is the Society for Women and Aids in
Africa (Sierra Leone) - SWAA-SL. It is unique in that it not only
supports women and children affected by HIV/Aids, but also vulnerable
women. Marie Benjamin, the Programme Coordinator
of SWAA-SL,
highlights the "need to support vulnerable women so they don't resort
to prostitution and expose themselves to HIV. We need to empower them."
Their
walk-in centre is strategically located in downtown Freetown with the
King Jimmy Wharf, market area and various informal settlements all in
close proximity. It provides a safe environment for women living with
HIV/Aids to go, seek information and help. "If they know they have
somewhere to go, that there's someone to take an interest in them, they
come. Sometimes they tell their families they're going to work,"
Clarissa, a volunteer counsellor, explains. Often, these women become
the further victims of discrimination, and have no other institutional
support.
In the past, SWAA-SL has run outreach programmes for
commercial sex workers in Freetown. They've provided education,
counselling, and have helped women get tested. They have, additionally,
provided skills training. The problems, however, demand a consistent
and sustained approach.
One young woman at the centre explained
that she worked as a prostitute until she discovered she was HIV
positive. Her story is familiar. Abandoned by her family, she was
living with an aunt, helping her in the marketplace. The woman gave her
a meal a day, but that was all. Out of desperation she turned to the
streets. Even then, her aunt and abusive boyfriend demanded money from
her. She has two children that she is unable to take care of, and they
have been taken in by her grandmother. None of them knows her status.
The centre is her only support.
With just four full-time staff
in Freetown, however, and a group of volunteers, SWAA-SL is
under-resourced and under-staffed. Without their continuing effort,
however, many young women would end up without hope, and back on the
street.
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