• How I Was Forced Into Prostitution At 13
• As HIV positive, men were still sleeping with me
By GILBERT EKEZIE
BLESSING Bassey Okon from Etop, Akwa Ibom
State was an innocent girl who was forced into
prostitution at the age of 13, a time she was
supposed to be under the care of her parents. Her
father died immediately after her birth and
thereafter, her mother remarried and left her with her
mother- in-law who could neither feed her well nor
train her due in school.
That therefore, created a loophole and made her
feel rejected. At a point, she started to seek a
better parental care. Her grandmother, who was
taking care of her tried her best and was hoping to
get a support one day.
Coincidentally, an offer came and it was that of a
professional prostitute who disguised as a
businesswoman. The woman who stays in Calabar
and a relation traveled home and convinced
Blessing’s grandmother that she needed someone
to assist in the shop where she sells rice.
According to Blessing, the young lady gave her
grandmother N4000 and took her to Calabar. “When
that Aunty came to my village to pick me, she
deceived my grandmother that she had a big rice
shop which she wanted me to manage. She gave
my grandmother some money and the old woman
asked me to go with her. In fact, I was very happy
because I wanted to leave the village to an urban
area, so I would have the opportunity to engage
myself in one trade or the other, since there was no
one to support me”, she stated.
Blessing also explained that on getting to Calabar,
her madam, instead of taking her to the shop where
she would manage, she was taken to a hotel room
for prostitution. “Unfortunately, it was when we got
to Calabar that I understood that what I went to do
was prostitution. She showed me a room and
instructed me to ensure that I deliver enough money
to her otherwise I would die of hunger. I felt bad
and wondered what to do. After much thought, I
remembered that I had no option than to obey her
directive. So grudgingly, I started the job. I wanted
to report to my mother and grand mother what I
was going through, but due to lack of mobile phone,
I could not. While doing the job, I used to deliver
between N10, 000 and N20, 000 to my madam on
daily basis. It was from the money that she feed me
and pay for my room. Sad enough, I was not given
any cash, even when I was the one who used my
body to make the money”, she said.
As God would have it, Blessing managed to hide
some money from what she made to buy a phone
worth N2,000, so as to narrate her ordeal to her
family members. She ended up being disappointed
when she called and explained to her grandmother
her condition but she encouraged her to go on.
“When I reported to my grandmother that the lady
she gave me to later introduced me to prostitution
business, she was not bothered, rather, she advised
me to try to cope, in order to survive the hard
times. From her statement, I understood that it was
a planned work. She even later gave me one of my
sisters to join me in the business.”
Like other prostitutes, Blessing was busy hustling
for customers and making some money for her
madam. But one day, some policemen stormed the
hotel and arrested her for being in the business as
an adolescent.
According to her “I was in my room when some
policemen came. When they saw me, they were
surprised because of my age. So, they arrested me.
the following day, my madam sent someone to bail
me from the police detention. When I left the
station, a woman I did not know took me to her
house and was giving me food. I was really
satisfied and comfortable than the place I was.
At a time, her son started abusing and beating me
for eating their food, without doing anything for
them. As a result, I left the place and went home to
inform my mother, instead of discouraging me, she
also encouraged me probably due to the bag of rice
and other items I gave to her. So, when I returned, I
decided to leave my madam to be on my own.
Thereafter, I started going from one hotel to the
other and was making some money, but could not
see what I did with it.”
Though Blessing was into the business, her spirit
was not there as she prayed on daily basis for God
to remove her from there to a better place where
she would have a rest of mind and be proud of who
she is. “While in the business, I contacted HIV from
one of my boy friends. Even at that, I was still
having sex with several men.
But I do not know whether they also contacted HIV
or not. At a stage, I began to get worried about my
condition and a possible way out because I could
save money to do any reasonable thing from what I
was doing. So, one day, some church people who
introduced themselves as members of The Lord’s
Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries in Calabar
came to preach to us in our hotel. Their message
centered on repentance. And as they preached to
me, I was touched to heed their advice to leave the
job and join them, but another mind told me not to
go. But after much thought, I made up my mind to
follow them to church.”
Initially, when she joined The Lord’s Chosen in
Calabar, Blessing was not still free. “Even when I
joined The Lord’s Chosen, the demons in me were
still at work. And, I was fighting with some
members regularly, on little provocation. But the
members advised me not to do such things in the
church, yet I did not listen. One day, I prayed God to
remove the demons in me and those in my siblings
because we are known to be troublesome people in
our community. Good enough, I was managing
myself to attend the Church and they were really
working hard to deliver me.”
Blessing’s turning point eventually came when she
was brought to a recent programme organized by
the church in Lagos. “I was brought to The Lord’s
Chosen Crusade in Lagos from Port Harcourt on
Friday, June 10, 2016 by their members. They sent
me to Port Harcourt branch from Calabar. Then from
there, they brought me to Lagos for this
programme. When the 2-day programme started on
Saturday and prayers were offered, I felt relieved of
the problems I used to have. I also noticed that the
HIV has disappeared because I do not notice the symptoms I used to have.
What is left is for
me to be tested to be medically sure.”
me to be tested to be medically sure.”
The young girl who has denounced prostitution
asked God and those she has offended in the
course of her business to forgive her. “I want God
to forgive me. I also want those I have wronged to
forgive me also. I want to start a new life. I want to
be a child of God and do not want to go into
prostitution any longer. So, what I need now is a
job and accommodation to enable me take care of
my self.”
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prostitute-how-i-was-forced-into-prostitution-at-13/
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