Catholic Entity in Nigeria Spearheading Moral Change among Commercial Sex Workers

However, she adds, “This project or job is a passion to me and my team. I have been dealing with them and as a result appreciate their experiences. I take courage through prayers before I decide to visit any of the brothels, coupled with the acquired tactics, and approach as a teacher.”

“I always go as friends with food, snacks and other gift items and we exchange banter and that is why whenever I enter into those houses, it must always be with a smiling face. It must be with gifts and food to entertain them and they joyfully welcome me,” Sr. Okoli says.

She continues in reference to the strategies she uses to capture the attention of the commercial sex workers, “With that they get attracted to me and I will explain my mission and reason for coming. We talk like sisters and relations and they open up to me on their problems and challenges.”

“Sometimes we talk to the point that they begin to cry and some will be begging to go home with me and never to go back to the trade,” she says.

The Nigerian Catholic Sister goes on to call on the government and other stakeholders in the country to support her initiatives considering that the number of rescued women keeps increasing.

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“This is not what we can do alone; we need all hands on deck to assist in rehabilitating them. They are our sisters and they come from homes. Yes, they live in the brothels and we live in homes, but they can be threat to us,” says Sr. Okoli

The SYGMF leader adds in reference to the women, “If we help them, they will contribute positively to the society and the people will benefit from them. However, if we neglect them, they become a threat to the society and involve in other inhuman and heinous activities that endanger the society.”

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.