Director’s
Comment:
KASH, as we are better
known today has come a long way. Starting out as Kisumu AIDS Self Help
Group (KASH) in 2003, we set out to address sex workers’ HIV/AIDS
plights and needs in Kisumu city. Back then, the then highly stigmatized
sex trade offered us little hope for the kind of future we see now.
After years on the road, we have been recognized and recently registered
as an NGO by the name "Keeping Alive Societies’ Hope".
As you many have noted, the new name has not altered our abbreviations
– and hence identity. So we remain known as ‘KASH’.
Back in 2003, our priority
revolved around the need to mobilize CSWs and put them in some quiet
places where we would educate them about the HIV/STIs. Together with
David, I remember hopping from one bar to another quietly identifying
CSWs and engaging them in small talk; later convincing them to attend
workshops. Our first workshops were held in hidden downtown bars where
very few knew what we were doing. There was a clear need for secrecy
then because we didn’t know what the society would do if they
knew we were working with CSWs. However, even that early, we were surprised
at the warm and enthusiastic exhibited by the CSWs and bar managers
whom we encountered.
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Gradually, as we sustained
our efforts and activities through the ensuing months and years, the
extent of needs of CSWs became known to us. We learnt that besides offering
CSWs direct information and services there were other equally important
things that needed attention if sex workers circumstances was to be
sustainably improved. The need to address the relationship between CSWs
and the police came about in this way.
This year, 2008, will be the second year since we enrolled the police
into our programme.
Interestingly, our most
outstanding achievement so far has been our ability to integrate the
police into CSW work. Infact, this feat has stood us above the rest
in this field. The police force in Kisumu is today a more society-focused
one than was the case before us. We are proud to have achieved in the
police two objectives: improved their relationship with CSWs and secondly
to have offered them opportunities to learn more on various laws relevant
to our work e.g. Sexual offences bill, Witness protection Act, Bills
of Rights etc. The Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and our Law Consultant
(Lynette) have been very instrumental in running the legal aspects of
the police-CSWs forums. Next
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