SEX IN THE FOREST

One common rule of the jungle is “survival for the fittest” and no matter the state of the jungle the lion must eat meat. Have you ever wondered or think of what happens to the weak ones in the jungle? They either starve to death or migrate to another area to see if they can fit and survive there.

This is what is happening to the commercial sex workers who can no longer fit in the “battle” field, survival has become a nightmare for them and according to them, the worst part of it all is the rate at which the living standard has risen to the higher level. This has forced them to look for other strategy of surviving in the field to at least bring something on the table and put on. 

The is happening in Chobingo forest in Ukunda town, Kwale County just some few miles from Ukunda/Diani Airstrip where young, ladies who indulge themselves in drugs go everyday to stage for the passersby especially men and young boys. They say that even pupils have also develop the taste of passing there also to enjoy themselves as they come from school in the evening.

Why cant they fit in the same field with the others? “Each and everyday new ones come, who are young, charming and fresh which makes it difficult for us to get our customers” exclaimed one of them. For a long time they employ the tactics of the field since they have stayed in the field for a longer period than the new comers but still couldn’t beat them. This has made them loose clients and if one happens to get one then it will be at a lower price and you can’t deny the offer for it can be what you get the whole night.

The new strategy of ensuring they do not completely lose is fleeing the place and go somewhere they too can fit and acquire new clients and according to them it’s a better place, home away from home and they are liking their new station. It’s called a “green estate station” it’s a business conducted in a forest hence the name “green” estate station strategically located along the path where people pass daily. 

The business is lucrative and they conduct it all the time but since the estate has no street lights they leave it at 7 pm to go and try their luck in the light even though not guarantee that they will get then go relax. Here they don’t pay rooms as it used to be which also boost them since all the money one get is hers to keep. “Before we migrated to this place, we used to pay rooms or our clients pay room with the amount we are paid which was making it to look little but now that’s gone and we are happy here” retorted Alice one of them.

while in streets and in pubs, it was not easy for them to get customers during the day as some of their customers never wanted to get noticed and would only appear in the dark but as it stands for them now that one is a forgone case and now they can get them easily during the day as the forest is thick and it’s in a path where everybody especially men pass by while going for their daily chores, others according to them just make it their habit to pass there to pick one and not really going anywhere. In the green estate they sell at kshs. 100 or 50 for those who bargain a lot but in the evening at the streets they sell as little as kshs. 30.

“when we started it here in the forest, people could pass us and pretend not to notice us but since we have experience in this work, we ensured that we get noticed and that we don’t lose clients, the news about us being here spread out like a bush fire.” added Alice

They knew tactics that lure men, and since they are in business they don’t fear walking naked in front of you just to make you fall in their trap. This is just one of the many tactics they employed.

According to them life has changed since they can eat, drink, maintain to buy drugs and meet other needs ever since they migrated to that place.

Men who had got the taste of them frequent the place without missing since they could easily access them and being that the price was favourable for them they never fail to visit. Though they are ladies who indulge themselves with drugs, this affected them so much that even an offer of kshs. 20 one will just agree so long as she doesn’t miss the money to buy the drugs which they go for every evening after job.

They are not ready to quit yet may be only when the bush will be cleared, this is just because they need money to buy drugs and injection since they can’t do without it and the commodity is expensive to acquire. Some even say they don’t care about food but their first priority is on how to get the injection first then the rest will follow.

“The money we get here, we spend most of it on drugs (kitu) as they would call it because we and drugs is one thing” retorted one of them who declined to give the name

One thing one ought to know is that they don’t choose who to go with; young, old, married, infected what they want is money but they are also careful, in their station are packs of condoms that they put standby in case a customer will appear. 

This simply tells you that school going children are not left out either and they at high risk of falling victims since it’s the same path they use that the station is located.

There is no business that you will do without facing or meeting challenges on the way, they too face challenges in their business. They say that they are being confronted with women who pass there that they are destroying their husbands that they should vacate the place and go somewhere else a part from there. Sometimes the women come in groups to threaten to beat them if they don’t leave the place but they are admitting that they are not leaving very soon, since they don’t force anybody to have sex with them but one do it willingly and pays without being forced.

“We don’t care whether they are husbands, what we want is money and we are not forcing anyone to sleep with us. Whoever will accept the offer we deem as our customer” they added in chorus

To them the business is so lucrative and they are contented with it and if you have not fallen a victim but use the path, be so keen since they are not relenting. If you are parent whose boys use the path to school, you better worry about it lest they become victims too.