A Non-Governmental Or­ganisation, Wanda Adu Foundation has vowed to reduce the number of female commercial sex workers in Abuja, through a skill acquisition pro­gramme.
President/Founder of the Foun­dation, Wanda Ebe, disclosed this in Abuja during a town hall meeting organised for sex work­ers drawn from select brothels in Kubwa, Mpampe, Gwarinpa, among others.
Wanda, who said the gathering was to enlighten the sex workers on their rights, called on them to explore other legitimate ways of making money, instead of de­pending on a job that is character­ised by frequent molestations and abuses.
She said, "The essence of this meeting is to let them know that sex work is not the only way to make money; that they can explore other ways of making money.
"We want them to use what­ever skills they have, if they don't have any, we are willing to trans­fer skills to them free, so that they can have a means of livelihood like hair dressing, baking, tailoring, fashion design etc.
She, however, called on men to stop patronising sex workers, stressing that there must be a be­havioural change to address the problem.
One of the sex workers, Esther Ibaoche, who commended the Foundation for the programme, said she was forced into the job by hardship.
"Hardship forced me into it, I was doing business before but Taskforce never allow us to rest; I was roasting corn, but they will take us to their office and you will pay, or sometime they pack our business. I was selling bread and it was the same thing.
"I earned more money now but the risk is high, they have raped me so many times and I have en­tered into many ritualists’ hands but I believe is just God that made me to escape." - The Authority