Survivors

February 16.17

When I arrived here in January and began looking at what was on my calendar, I was intrigued to see a monthly event called "Survivors Meetings".  I initially thought this must be a program for widows who have survived the loss of a loved one or maybe for people who have survived serious illnesses (cancer, malaria, HIV, etc.).  But not so. To my surprise, Survivors is a group of young to middle aged women who meet each week because they share one thing in common - they have all 'survived' a life of working in the sex trade.  With the help of this Salvation Army program, they have been freed from the difficulties of prostitution and have found an alternative life style that is healthier and more productive.  To date, I have attended one of their monthly meetings and plan to keep attending as much as my schedule allows me.

The program began three years ago and currently more than 50 women are enrolled (with an average monthly attendance of about 40). The program provides social, psychological, and spiritual support for the women. They are all single mothers who have now built friendships with each other as well as a meaningful relationship with the leader of the group, currently Captain Leah Kitaa, a member of the Territorial Women's Ministry Department.  They share their stories with one another, they pray for each other, they sing and worship as well as learn life skills together. The group meetings provide guidance and education for the women on how to start and sustain their own small businesses which many of them are doing.  There is also an opportunity for financial support through their own table banking. Each week they are invited to contribute shares (small amounts of money) and they can actually borrow money to help them with their business ventures. They are now discovering new ways of caring for themselves and their children.

I find this program to be an excellent example of the value of ministry to women and look forward to being more familiar with its impact. Here is a story from one of the women involved. This article is about to be published in their War Cry.

 SUCCESS STORY OF MISS. HELLEN MAKOKHA – SURVIVOR.

I am Hellen Makokha and I am twenty three years old.  I come from a family of seven and I being the only daughter. I was  brought up by a single mother who used to wash peoples clothes, sometimes do work in peoples gardens and also do some small business in order to get something on the table and raise our school fees.

Life was very tough and it led me to academic failure though I finished my form four (high school) but the results were not admirable. However because of confidentiality and trust, I looked for something to believe in and pin my hopes on. I came to realize being a commercial sex worker can help me more.

I started practicing this behavior for some years and at first I thought this to be one way of gaining some source of comfort, wealth and protection from danger. It was a low preference and all was in vain, life became more miserable, police harassment, mosquitoes bites etc. When things started going horrible wrong, people urged me to seek the Survivors’ Women Group at the Salvation Army Church whereby I accepted to join the group.

My life started changing slowly by slowly and at the moment I sell fruits in the market. I spend most of the time in my business and I have no time to interact with failures that can make me feel like going back to the streets.

During our monthly meetings at the Salvation Army, we get Biblical teachings and this makes me feel like I am wonderfully made and my body is the Temple of God. I respect myself, protect myself because I am worthy of it. Because of my total change, many women, girls and neighbors’ come to seek some advice on how they can maintain themselves and start running small businesses as I do.

Some of the sex workers have infection of different diseases but thank God through the Salvation Army, I am safe and healthy.

Through the help and care of the Salvation Army, during our monthly meeting, we do table banking whereby all survivors contribute monthly shares and  small loaning is encouraged to all members to enable everybody to boost her business for better living.  This has helped me expand my small business of selling fruits like Mangoes as seen in the photograph above, Director of Specialized programs Captain Leah Kitaa who is the leader of the Survivor women group encourages all the women to start small business that will sustain themselves and their children.  Captain Leah paid a visit to Miss. Hellene Makokha in her business work place.  Blessings to the Salvation Army at large.

Report Compiled by:

Director of Specialized Programs- THQ

Captain Leah Kitaa.