Bueno, pues lo dicho, voy a hacer los comentarios más cortitos :) que no me da la vida para tanto ... ni a vosotros tampoco :)
Nada más llegar a la oficina, Disha, se me presenta un tal Nagendara, un Male Sex Worker (MSW) super orgulloso de serlo. Y con mucho orgullo también me empezó a hablar de Ashodaya. Con toda la naturalidad del mundo, intercalaba ejemplos de su vida personal, de cómo empezó él a trabajar de sex worker. Y fue un poco forzado, la verdad, por su jefe cuando él era un estudiante. Pero ahora está encantado de serlo. En un momento determinado, le enseñé unas fotos de Etienne (mi novio) que tenía en mi laptop. ¡Le encantó! Y bromeamos sobre que si viene a verme, no le voy a dejar acercarse a él!!
Nagendara me ha hecho una presentación sobre cómo empezó el proyecto y cómo Sushena y un tal Dr Sander fueron poco a poco ganándose la confianza de los MSW y a través de ellos, de las Female Sex Workers (FSW) que temían que si iban a las reuniones que organizaban Sushena y Dr Sander, las dormirían para sacarles los ojos y los riñones para venderlos!! Gracias a algunos incidentes, como que Sushena y Dr Sander sacaron a 20 FSW de la cárcel un día, ellas fueron confiando más y se interesaron por el proyecto.
Entre sus peticiones, destaco tres: 1) querían protección de la violencia policial, 2) querían un sitio para descansar y reunirse durante las horas que no trabajaban, 3) querían atención médica sin discriminación. Otro incidente que afianzó su relación con Sushena fue que ella intercedió con un médico que no quería tratar a una FSW embarazada, a quien le habían dado una paliza. Al final, el bebé murió pero ella sobrevivió gracias a la atención médica.
Me han contado cómo hicieron ellos mismos un mapeo de los sex workers y a través de unos billetes de lotería que repartían, pudieron hacer unas estadísticas (Método Capture-Recapture para los interesados).
También me explicó que han dividido Mysore en 3 zonas, según la cantidad y tipo de sex workers. Y a los miembros de Ashodaya en categorías, tipo Guides, Shadow Leaders, Coordinators, Project Officer, President ... todos ellos son sex workers.
Como véis, están muy bien organizados. Me sorprende escuchar las palabras que he ido aprendiendo últimamente al leer sobre salud pública, tipo outreach, stakeholders, etc. de alguien que no es un profesor de universidad y, sin embargo, parece saber muy bien de lo que está hablando. Sin duda, en este viaje voy a aprender definitivamente a no juzgar a la gente por su apariencia!
Abrazos,
Valeria
ENGLISH
As mentioned, entries will be shorter :) for the sake of a healthier time management!!
As soon as I got into the office this morning, called Disha, a certain Nagendara appeared and sat down next to me. He is a very proud Male Sex Worker (MSW) who was eager to tell me how Ashodaya first started at the same time as he would naturally insert narratives of his own life and how he started working as a sex worker. He was actually kind of forced by his boss when he was a young student but he is now some kind of wealthy educated sex worker. I would also insert little details about my personal life and I ended up showing him pictures of Etienne, my boyfriend, in my laptop. That was so funny, he really seemed to like him and I couldn't help saying that I would not allow him to touch my boyfriend if he ever comes to visit me!
Nagendara did a little presentation for me about how Ashodaya actually started up and about how Sushena and a certain fellow called Dr Sander initially approached the sex workers. At that time, sex workers were scattered and hardly talked to each other. Very slowly, MSW felt they could trust them whereas FSW still believed that they were going to have their eyes and kidneys taken away if they attended the meetings organized by Suhena and Sander. Only after a few incidents happened that showed that they were coming with the best intentions FSW agreed to attend the meetings. These incidents ranged from getting them out from jail to interceding with medical doctors to have proper attention.
Among their requests and complains, Sushena and Sander decided to focus in 3 of them: 1) preventing violence from police, 2) providing a place for them to rest safely while they were not working, 3) having access to non-discriminated medical attention. Probably one of the most determining incidents to accept Sushena and Sander was the case of a pregnant FSW who had been beaten by her boyfriend and was badly injured. Doctors didn't want to treat her fearing she could be HIV+. Finally they saved her life although the baby died.
Nagendara explained to me how it was themselves (sex workers) who took charge for the mapping and counting of the sex workers in Mysore. Statistics were made based on a lottery raffle that they made up to apply the "Capture-Recapture Method".
He also explained to me how Mysore has been divided in 3 zones according to the number and type of sex workers. And how all member of Ashodaya are hierarchyzied in Guides, Shadow Leaders, Coordinators, Project Officers, President ... all being sex workers.
As you can see, they are very well organized. It keeps calling my attention to hear some newly acquired words to me, like outreach, stakeholder, etc. coming from someone who is by far not a university teacher but who seems to feel very familiar with those terms. There is no doubt that this time here will definitely teach me not to judge anyone by his appearances!
Cheers,
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