On Friday, as Cupid Arrow victims scrambled to purchase gifts for their lovers, Family Medical Point(FMP) , a non-profit organization organized a special Valentine’s Day treat for sex workers, fishermen and other dwellers at Nakiwogo landing site in Entebbe.
Cupid is the Roman god of love, desire, and affection, often depicted as a winged boy with a bow and arrows. His arrows have the power to make people fall deeply in love. He is the counterpart of the Greek god Eros and is commonly associated with Valentine’s Day as a symbol of romance.
FMP organized a moonlight outreach in which they offered Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights services including distribution of free condoms, HIV testing and counselling, education on teenage pregnancies and unsafe abortions among others.
“Many people in fishing communities, especially sex workers experience stigma and discrimination and this limits their ability to seek medical help. Also, the distance to healthcare facilities further compounds these issues, making it difficult for these people to access SRHR services,” Rose Mahoro, the communications manager at Family Medical Point said.
“HIV prevalence remains alarmingly high at 37% among these communities, compared to the national rate of 5.4% but also the limited access to contraceptives has also contributed to high rates of unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. We realised the need to offer love and compassion to these communities on Valentine’s Day.”
The Head of Programs at Family Medical Point, Pauline Nabwire said moonlight outreach was well thought out.
“Most of our beneficiaries are sex workers who find it easy to work in the night but also during the night, they find it easy to come and seek these services. For the fishermen, most of the times, they return from fishing at night and it makes it easy for them to get these services during the night,”Nabwire said.
Many of the sex workers said it is difficult to get these services, especially during the day due to stigma and discrimination, while many of them don’t know where to get help from.
“I was always afraid of going to the health centre for fear of being stigmatized yet these services are key. For example, we need condoms but many of our colleagues end up using kaveera to protect from STIs and unwanted pregnancies. With interventions like this night outreach, many of us have got a lifeline. We thank Family Medical Point for coming to our rescue. We call for more of these moonlight outreaches,” a sex worker who preferred to remain anonymous said.
