Commercial sex work is defined by the United Nations as the “exchange of money or goods for sexual services, either regularly or occasionally, involving female, male, and transgender adults, young people and children where the sex worker may or may not consciously define such activity as income-generating”. HIV prevalence among Ugandan youth aged 12–19 is estimated at 2.4%, with much higher rates estimated among vulnerable youth living in the slums, for both HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (37.2%) According to USAID-Uganda .High-risk behaviors such as engaging in commercial sex work in addition to other HIV-related risk behaviors such as multiple sexual partners, intermittent condom use, and concurrent substance use all increase the risk of acquiring and transmitting HIV.


HIV prevalence is almost four times higher among young women aged 12 to 24 than young men of the same age. The issues faced by this demographic include gender-based violence (including sexual abuse) and a lack of access to education, health services, social protection and information about how they cope with these inequities and injustices. Indeed, young Ugandan women who have experienced intimate partner violence are 50% more likely to have acquired HIV than women who had not experienced violence.
Sex work is associated with a number of risk factors, including alcohol and substance use, adverse childhood experiences, including previously being sexually or physically abused and parental substance abuse, and social factors, such as orphan status or a lack of educational training. Among a sample of female sex workers in Kampala, 49% reported being raped at least once in their lifetime. Youth who are orphans or those who do not attend school may resort to sex work for food, shelter, and income.

Additionally, sex work has been linked to numerous adverse health consequences. HIV prevalence among those who engage in sex work is nearly 12 times higher than the general population. A study conducted by USAid, “Uganda AIDS Indicator Survey, In conjunction with Uganda Youth Development Link, examining 16 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa reported a 37% HIV prevalence among females engaging in sex work. Clients of commercial sex may request unprotected sex and have reported paying more for this sex, further increasing the risk of HIV and other STI acquisition.

Sex workers have also reported experiencing violence from clients which may lead to an increased risk of HIV transmission. Among a sample of adult female sex workers in Kampala, Uganda, 82% reported being a victim of violence initiated by the client. Boys and men are also vulnerable to violence when engaging in sex work. Additionally, the use of alcohol before or during sex by young children in need to stop fear so as to develop strength for the action has been linked to risk for violence in the general population as well as among sex workers. Sex workers who use substances such as alcohol also report higher instances of engaging in sex without a condom, further increasing risk of HIV transmission and acquisition.

Despite the health needs and disparate circumstances of youth who live on the streets and slums of Kampala, Uganda, and their high risk for engaging in sex work, we could not find any study that has examined sex work specifically in this population. The lives of youth living in the slums and streets of Kampala are complicated by many additional adversities due to their living conditions that exacerbate the vulnerability of the youth, such as food scarcity, a lack of money, abuse and neglect. Examining high-risk behaviors among these youth is important to inform interventions which target this vulnerable and growing population

Therefore, the purpose of this project is to enable us identify more victims, record the possible risk factors as to why they engage in such activities, rehabilitation and give them hands-on skills that can sustain themselves.

Main Objective
• The aim of the project is to provide knowledge, perception, and change attitude of vulnerable children on the cause, prevent the spread of HIV/AIDs and to address the raised cases of sexual abuse/harassment in exchange with basic need in order to minimize high numbers of vulnerable street children and social stigma in Kampala.

Specific Objective
• Empowering vulnerable youth with hands on skills.
• Stop child commercial sex working in Kampala in exchange with basic needs.
• Provide street children with basic needs like food, clothing’s etc.
• Stop child sex abuse and forced marriage.
• Slower the incidence rate of HIV among vulnerable children through awareness raising.

Methodology
• Mainstream with local authorities,
• Community outreaches,
• Awareness raising,
• Identification of victims,
• Rehabilitation,
• Empower the victims with Hands on skills like hairdressing, tailoring, cetc.
• Start them joint small scare businesses.

Expected Results
• Created awareness on prevention of HIV/AIDs and urinary tract infection.
• It reduced the incident rate of HIV/AIDs among vulnerable street children.
• It reduced the social stigma among them and child sex abuse.
• Reduced the vulnerable rate of children in slams.

Target Group and Beneficiaries

The target group is the marginalized female street children engaged in commercial sex working in the age of 22years and bellow in slams of the 5 divisions of Kampala City where the project will be implemented. A total of 100 beneficiaries, 20 in each division will be targeted.

Strategy

This will be achieved through a wide range of sensitization and networking initiatives, by which FRENDA will strengthen the knowledge of Marginalized street kids and those with disabilities on prevention of HIV and self-sustainability of the local communities such as slams. Best practice exchanges complemented with a set of tools and mechanisms to provide the grounds for increased awareness will be established.