SEVERAL sex workers drawn from Hopley settlement in Harare who had an opportunity to watch a documentary titled The Dream Catcher said the storyline echoed their own experiences in the sex trade and they had drawn valuable lessons from it.
BY IDAH MHETU
The documentary was shown on Tuesday evening as part of the Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF).
The Dream Catcher relates the story of Brenda Myers-Powell, a former sex worker who was an early contender for saint of the year after overcoming a life of abuse to devote her time to helping women in similar situations around Chicago.
One of the sex workers (name supplied) who spoke on behalf of those who watched the documentary, said prostitution was their sole means of survival, but often compromised their children.
“Some of my fellow sex workers tend to forget that they have children as they chase after money,” she said.
“All they care about is the job and the money. Kids are being raped in Hopley and they would be forced to go and marry any random guy at the farm.” The documentary does not impose a conventional narrative on her story and those of the women she helps, but offers them a chance to share their harrowing stories, focusing on how the abuse cascades down to their children.
“We shouldn’t share the same rooms with our children because they are always there whenever we talk about our work and this is not good for them,” she said.
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She said they often charged as little as $1,50 and $2 for their “short time” services so they get busy pursuing as many clients as possible at the expense of their children.
The sex worker thanked the ZIFF for offering them the opportunity to learn.
