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Chirundu 40.
It is here, that ladies of all types — short, stout or tall, light or dark, onion shaped or pencil slim, dabble in the world’s oldest profession, prostitution.

More often than not, when a haulage truck huffs and puffs, hobbling to a grinding halt, the bizarre and the unthinkable happens, a lady sells sex in broad daylight:
“Just US$5 short time, short time US$5 only!”

Shame, what a shame!

As a place infamous for high levels of prostitution, Chirundu, the border town has seen several intervention projects to stop the “world’s oldest profession” trickle down to mere paper work.
Most projects aimed at reducing the levels of the vice that significantly contributes to the spread of HIV/Aids at the one stop border post between Zimbabwe and its northern neighbour Zambia have failed to yield any positive results.

This is mostly because of the mobility of the target group sex workers and truck drivers, who never remain in one place for a long time.
The International Labour Organisation in 2010 launched a project on Economic Empowerment and HIV Vulnerability Reduction along Transport Corridors in Southern Africa in a bid to tackle Aids through empowering sex workers so that they start self income generating projects.

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The project seeks to respond to the HIV and Aids pandemic through economic empowerment in the transport sector through a strategic approach of mobilising co-operatives and community based organisations.
ILO says the major thrust of the programme is to mobilise the tripartite constituents and other strategic partners to contribute to the reduction of HIV infections and mitigation of the impact of Aids through sustainable prevention, improved livelihood strategies, access to care and support structures and initiatives involving

affected grassroots communities and transport sector workers and their families.

The programme seek to addresses the needs and vulnerabilities of workers in the informal economy who do not have access to coping mechanisms to mitigate the impact of the disease, such as lack of access to social protection and income.
Economic empowerment was a way to increase opportunities and therefore economic resilience of the most vulnerable populations and workers with high risk of exposure to HIV infections.

However, these efforts by the ILO to improve the lives of sex workers face several challenges because of the unavailability of funding.
Scantily dressed ladies with bloodshot eyes from lack of adequate sleep and alcohol can be seen wandering around the town but mostly in areas frequented by trucks to enhance chances of getting a “catch”.

This constituency of truck drivers and ladies of the night have had misgivings for the one-stop border post concept developed to ensure smooth movement of goods and people.

Several sex workers interviewed said although the initiatives by the ILO to give technical support in trying to improve their livelihoods was noble, this was not enough as they               do not have capital to bankroll their projects such as doing laundry for truck drivers, selling wares among others.
A member of Shanduko Project under one of ILO’s projects called Savings and Credit Co-operative Societies Limited (SACCO) — Elizabeth Mapurani (not real name) said she had joined the co-operative, but had no way of raising contributions.

“I have no education and I dropped out of school before I completed Grade Seven. Prostitution has become a way of life for me,’ she said as she guzzled her Castle.
The woman now aged 23 narrated how she had joined the oldest profession after she forced by her parents to marry when she was only 14-years-old.
“If it was not for my parents who forced me into marriage I would have been someone in life, I cant anymore. I know about this ILO project, but I still need capital to start my own business,” she said.

Another lady of the night who is known as “Mupostori” because of her bold hairstyle said she was ready to reform, but on condition that she was given a kick start.
“Yes I would want one day to leave prostitution, but as for now I cannot because I need to survive,” she said.
Queen another lady of the night openly declared that with her beauty most truck drivers desired to have a piece of her and this made her popular making enough money to look after herself and she could not leave the profession.

“I enjoy what I do and this is my life. These organisations come here to take us photos and sell our stories, but don’t give us anything. They claim to have us at heart but once they go you will never see them again,” she said.
Queen who is only 22-ears-old was dressed in a skimpy mini skirt and a spaghetti top despite the chilly weather.

“I came here to Chirundu from Mhondoro in 2009 and I stay in Baghdad,” she said.
Baghdad is a notorious illegal compound that houses an estimated 1 000 families and most of the sex workers reside there.
Baghdad, a settlement where pole and dagga houses are common sight has been blamed by most residents for transforming the border post into a horrible breeding

ground and a web for HIV and Aids.

Another sex worker said owing to limited job opportunities she had resorted to selling her body.
“I charge a minimum US$10 for sex to truck drivers who sometimes are willing to pay more depending on what they want me to offer them,” she said. 
“I have no option, but to fend for myself through prostitution,” the 23- year-old said.
She revealed that on a busy night she earns up to US$100, but lead a proverbial peasant life.

According to a survey by the World Vision International, a humanitarian agency which once operated in the area the number of sex workers has swelled from 6 000 to 10 000 in 2005.

However, despite the vast challenges the ILO’s national co-ordinator on Economic Empowerment and HIV Vulnerability Reduction Mr Colly Masuku said the organisation will not give up and would continue to intensify war against prostitution through economic empowerment.
Mr Masuku said the fight was on and ILO would remain on the battlefield and plans were at an advanced stage to establish a fund to assist the sex workers.

The fund called — The Corridor Economic Empowerment Innovative Fund once established seeks to stimulate opportunities through promoting decent work for members of support structures along selected transport corridors.
This is in order to provide viable coping strategies to vulnerable groups by sowing seeds and nurturing a culture of self resilience, enterprenuership and enterprise development,” Mr Masuku said.

He said this in turn will create a high awareness of the existence of less risky survival alternatives among infected and affected households and workers alike.
The fund is primarily targeted at vulnerable and marginalised members of the community such as sex workers or small medium enterprises who have organised themselves into registered support organisations such as SAACO. By virtue of being SACCO members they become eligible for the fund,” he said.

Mr Masuku said the fund system and procedures would also minimise lending risks and ensure the potential growth of the fund.
He said plans were at an advanced stage to set up such funds to economically empower disadvantaged groups.
“A few of the girls and women have been able to set up their own businesses and are growing,” he said.

Chirundu border post located on the banks of the Zambezi river in Mashonaland West Province is the second busiest border after Beitbridge and handles more than 6 000 trucks per month.
The ILO said it had targeted this area as it is a high risk for HIV and Aids.

The ILO says it seeks to support programmes to respond to the HIV and Aids epidemic in the world of work.
The key areas of action are prevention, management and mitigation of the impact of Aids in the world of work, care, support for workers infected and affected with Aids as well as elimination of stigma and discrimination on the basis of real or perceived HIV status.

Since 2003 the ILO has been running programmes focusing on HIV and Aids prevention impact mitigation in the Transport Sector in Zimbabwe with support from the Swedish International Development Agency.
The programme which is now in its third phase has contributed significantly to the decline of HIV and Aids prevention across the country.

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