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Prostitutes now accepting Maize and Beans as payment in Zimbabwe

Prostitutes now accepting Maize, tomatoes and Beans as payment in Zimbabwe. Male customers in Zimbabwe’s Dema Growth Point are reportedly paying prostitutes with buckets of maize and cups of beans.

Some sex workers/prostitutes who have spoken to New Zimbabwe have requested low-interest loans from the government and other organizations so that they may develop small businesses in order to provide for their families.

As the price of condoms and other needs continues to soar, some Zimbabwean sex workers have also reportedly resorted to using bread packets as contraception.

Their Story

One of the Sex workers identified as Alice, stated that the days when they used to charge $5 for an entire night is far gone. Nowadays, even a single dollar is accepted, allowing them to purchase vegetables and tomatoes to feed their starving children.

Alice revealed that she has three children, one of whom is a Form 4 student and needs to pay ZIMSEC (Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council) registration fees. The other children are in grades 7 and 1.

She added; “I now even accept a bucket of maize or cups of dried beans as payment for sex services. At least I am assured that my kids will have porridge.”

According to another sex worker identified as Mavis, said she had the option of working as a housekeeper instead. But she claimed that locals don’t pay.

“We tried this (domestic work) but the bosses do not pay. I once worked for five months with promises to be paid, but I left empty-handed,” she said.

The sex workers who spoke with the publication were participating in a Key Affected Populations (KAP) course aimed at limiting the spread of HIV and STDs (STIs).

The National Aids Council (NAC) hosted the seminar at Dema Growth Point.

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Prostitutes now accepting Maize and Beans as payment in Zimbabwe