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ISSN 0856-9135; No. 00247 |
ON THE WEB |
November 23 - 29, 2002 |
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Girls in the streets are girls in distressRemember when you cautioned your daughters to ‘come home early?" Well, the parents of these former street girls never liked it when their daughters went home early and empty handed. Raymond John has just discovered that there is more to local street girls than hands stretching out to beg.
Mother had no work so in order to survive, I and my younger brother had to beg in town especially around the AICC building. Since mother won’t allow us back home empty handed, sometimes we had to stay up to midnight being harassed by elderly boys and lascivious men.
It was then that I suffered ear infections which kept me out of school. However, my uniforms were badly worn out and I had no shoes. Due to this, they wouldn’t allow me in school so I dropped out. We were told that, father had married another woman who was responsible for his sudden hatred towards us. So, I had to escape into town where I begged in streets.
We always got beaten, insulted and chased away while begging in streets but we persevered since we needed the money for food at home. Mother never liked it when we went home early. He became even more furious if we arrived empty handed. One day I was accosted by a band of robbers at night but luckily one of them recognized me otherwise I can’t imagine what would have happened.
I used to survive by salvaging beans left over during market days at Mbauda, then sell them off. Other days I would be begging in town but until I joined CCF. My sister never knew of it. Older boys and adults tried to force me into having sex with them but I managed to steer clear of their advances.
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Last modified:
November 21, 2002. Webmaster: WDJMallya |
I
used to live in Ngarenaro area with my mother after our father died.
I
have both parents but are all very poor and living in Sombetini area. Father
used to be a driver but lost his job, became frustrated and started beating our
mother plus chasing us out every night.
I
have never seen my father but lived with my mother and two young brothers in
Olmateijo area. 
All
my parents are long dead thus I am an orphan and used to live with my sister at
Majengo.