Editor, I would like to respond to and thank you for the article, “Sex for tuition: The story of a university student’s double life” (The New Times, February 6). I don’t think there is a clear of ending such filthy business. Yet it has a lot of negative impact on society. Just imagine when someone in that situation gets married; she may not be satisfied with one man and could easily get back to her former Johns. The same applies to her clients who sleep around with many girls. Imagine when she eventually graduates and gets an average job (remember she can make up to Rwf50, 000 a single night!) or her husband is not able to provide for all her needs. It is a vice that’s slowly destroying society. Many commercial sex workers are often caught red-handed aborting or throwing away their babies. Others struggle tom cope with unplanned/unwanted pregnancies/children while they could have avoided those undesirable situations. As you may be aware, some end up in jail due to abortion, dumping babies or infanticide. Although this also happens to ‘non-prostitutes’, I believe many cases are those involved in prostitution. They should enter the ‘business’ well aware of the repercussions and the risk involved. And of course there are many other risks involved especially since their ‘trade’ is illegal. In all fairness, no one can encourage such kind of ‘business’. Poverty should not be reason to indulge oneself in prostitution because we know many students who don’t even have little cash from their parents or guardians, but don’t sell their bodies to get tuition fees. All that said, these students can look at alternatives like looking for jobs – we have a number of university students who are doing modest jobs like working in coffee shops and related activities to see them through school. Amani, Rwanda ******************************** The article comes at the right time and it clearly reminds us that this vice also exists in Rwanda. We used to think that our sisters only operate such ‘business’ in other countries but this article proved us wrong. The same business is taking place right in our midst. I request The New Times to keep doing similar stories. These kinds of articles are needed to keep society aware and take the necessary precaution. I don’t think legalising prostitution would bring out any solutions; it would rather create far more crimes that will only blur our hopes for the future. Finally, I would recommend parents to continue doing their best in educating their children, especially girls, and remind them that prostitution isn’t the right way to earn a decent life. Parents should also make it a habit to remind their daughters about unwanted pregnancies and HIV/Aids plus all related risks. Claude Kalisa, Rwanda
