Supporting sex workers in Chow Kit

Drop in for a life-change
Malay Mail, 9 June 2007, Sushma Veera

KUALA LUMPUR: She never got the chance to have proper religious education. As such, 46-year-old Lina is now making full use of it to learn more about religion, hygiene, and even have time to ‘lepak’. She was among those met at a drop-in centre for sex workers in Jalan Chow Kit to provide them with reading, writing, maths, religious and even beauty lessons. “When I’m not attending lessons here, I would cook for the others and help run the centre.” (See accompanying story)

Nestled between shoplots, it was initially part of the PT Foundation’s office before moving to its own space about four months ago. “The centre was set up to give sex workers a safe place of their own. This is a centre where they can come and relax, take a nap or even do their laundry,” said S. Jenithaa, the executive director of PT Foundation. It also provides breakfast, lunch and tea. The centre is being managed by their outreach worker Selvi @ Fatimah.

Although rather new, the response, according to Jenithaa, is overwhelming and amazing. “We are at the hub of the area. We don’t have other means of promotion for the centre like flyers or posters, but through word of mouth. Our outreach workers would meet the sex workers and tell them about our place and encourage them to come over, at least once, as a start.

“Most who came for the first time, kept coming back. They feel more at home here.” Jenithaa said the centre wants to educate sex workers on prevention against HIV and AIDS. ”We need to create a rapport with them with programmes, and it is through these classes that we incorporate the education and prevention methods.” For example, she said, when they explain about hygiene, they would show the correct way to use a condom and why it must be used.”We will also explain how the HIV virus spreads and what the girls can do to prevent it.” There are also legal aid clinics every Thursday.

Jenithaa said it is important to reach out to these girls in a subtle manner. “It’s absurd to approach them directly. It is not easy to deal with them as many feel rejected and neglected. We have to be very subtle, taking one step at a time.” On how they keep track of these girls, she said they would do mapping and keep a database of them. “Once we get them to come, we would encourage them to do the rapid HIV test done every Tuesday evening by a doctor. It is also open to others.

“You would be surprised to see the results. It’s also sad that many of the sex workers don’t know they are HIV-positive. We would refer them to the Sungai Buloh hospital for treatment. We even provide transportation.” She said they do face problems when some of those who tested positive refused to come to the hospital. “That’s why there is an urgent need for them to be educated about HIV and AIDS, and other sexually-transmitted diseases.”

For future programmes, she said they are planning to introduce other lessons, like aerobics, sewing and baking. “As for baking, we want to encourage the sex workers to try baking some cookies, especially during the festive season, as a means of income.” She said the centre lacks sponsorship. “For a start, we need more furniture, but most of all, volunteers with a passion to work here and help the sex workers.” PT Foundation also conducts counseling.

They can be reached at Tel: 03-40445455 or 40445466.

The telephone counseling sessions are available from Monday to Friday between 7.30pm and 9.30pm.

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Opening doors to a better life
Malay Mail, 9 June 2007

KUALA LUMPUR: “It’s not easy to come out of this flesh trade because to many, it is the only trade they know,” says S. Jenithaa, the executive director of PT Foundation of the sex workers in Chow Kit. She said some are as young as 16 while a few are 75, adding that she was shocked to find out that while many never had proper education, some actually completed their higher secondary education.

“These girls trusted their lovers and had left their family behind, only to end up here. After a certain age, they would not have any savings for themselves, as all the money had been given to their boyfriend.”

She said there was a case of a sixth generation of sex worker in a family and there are also siblings involved.

“It’s like a circle of life. When a sex worker has a child, they fail to get the birth certificate or identity card for the child, resulting in them to losing out in education. When the child grows up, she joins the mother in the business. If it’s a boy, he may become a drug addict or petty thief.”

She said procedures, at times, makes it more difficult for these people to get documentation, especially MyKad. “Many would come to our legal aid clinic every Thursday at PT Foundation with various problems. It is also open for others like transsexuals. The problems are not only about not having birth certs or MyKad, but also about being mishandled by enforcement officers.”

She said at least 80 per cent of the sex workers also take drugs, pills or alcohol, if not a combination of all.

Many people, she said, had asked why wouldn’t the sex workers find a proper job. “To them, what they are doing is not wrong as they don’t know any other skills.”

She said the best they could do is to ensure that the sex workers are given adequate information on HIV and AIDS and how to prevent the disease.

“We can’t make them come out immediately. We have to educate them before making them realise that there is another door for them to open.”