A DIFFRENT KIND OF DOCTOR

“Once I was beaten and left for dead by a client and three of his accomplices. He lured me to his house in pretense of wanting services, on arrival we found other people waiting. They locked the door beat me senseless, stripped me naked then threw me into the street in broad daylight. I was totally humiliated”.

This is just one of the many cases of brutality that ‘Barry’ experienced for 18 years while  working as a sex worker in Mombasa. The 34 year old was lured into sex trade as a teenager by friends who were earning big from it. At first it was good business but as the years progresses so did the challenges. Discrimination got worse, constant STD infections-with no available treatment were common and emotional trauma when he lost many of his peers to HIV.

His life however took a dramatic turn in 2000 when he was invited by a friend to a peer session for female sex workers. From the session he got to know of the -Reducing the Risk to HIV/STI for Female Sex Workers and Men who have sex with men program, implemented by a local NGO. He started accessing treatment, lubricants and counseling services from their Ganjoni HTC drop in center in Mombasa town. He also acquired capital to start small scale businesses and stopped relying entirely on sex work.

13 years down the line, Barry is a peer educator and a HTC counselor at the center currently being supported by a health care program. He shares the knowledge and skills he acquired over the years as part of the program to reach out to other male sex workers- many whom he says are suffering. His presence at the centre encourages them Male sex workers to come by for services as they can talk to one of their own.

“Sex trade is getting more and more dangerous. The clients are becoming more aggressive and turn violent at the slightest provocation, putting the sex workers at great risk of physical violence not to mention HIV infection” Said Barry.

Barry is now married with two children and works hard to fend for them. He aspires to go medical school so that he can avail services to MSMs and people other different sexual orientations without discrimination.