Imphal, October 31: Call it fruit of intense awareness campaigns being launched by NGOs or determination of a steely lady for find herself a rightful place in the society, a former commercial sex worker has abandoned her hideous profession to spread awareness on fighting against the menace of HIV/AIDS which she too is suffering and social ills associated with the disease.

The individual in question is a 28 year old widow living with HIV/AIDS who attributes her newly discovered zeal to effective counselling and advice of Imphal-based Meitei Leimarol Sinnai Shang (MLSS) that has also opened a branch at Senapati district to implement its project 'Intervention for women at risk'.

The Imphal project of MLSS that began in 1999 has so far covered 1318 Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs) out of whom nearly 13 percent were tested HIV positive.

Recapitulating her bitter experiences at a session in Guwahati recently, the lady said "I got married at the tender age of 14 and unfortunately my husband, a sportsperson residing died a couple of years later.

I then gave birth to a son.

What was more dreadful at that juncture was that my in-laws snatched my son and I was kicked out from the house".

With her aspiration to rebuild her future life further shattered when her parents too refused to accept her back, the 28 year old befriended another woman, who suggested selling vegetables at Imphal as an option of livelihood.

After discovering that returns from selling vegetables had to be supplemented with additional source of income the prospect of opening a pan dukan dawned on her but her second venture soon came to a nought as sale of tobacco items the primary source of income for many such small time business came under complete ban leading to her near starvation situation.

"Since I'm a physically challenged person with no savings left enough to sustain my existence, I was compelled to become a CSW.

Many clients of society's rank and file ranging from rickshaw pullers to officials came to me.

Later I had a second husband who was a habitual Intravenous Drug User.

He also separated from me," the lady said.

After consulting a lawyer she was able to claim custody of her only son who is also a heart patient thereby complicating her horrendous fate.

Through her other colleagues she was encompassed by the MLSS project whose counsellors' effective advice provoked her to quit prostitution and later made understanding that she was HIV positive.

"I have now the courage to join awareness programme on HIV and AIDS and I have become an activist bold enough to convince and share counselling to other CSWs to prevent the dreadful disease by using condoms".

"With the remuneration provided by MLSS I'm surviving with my son.

Now I start saving only to treat my son and till my last breathe I'll continue working for women empowerment and fight against the dreaded disease", she said with tears streaming down.

MC Rita, project co-ordinator of MLSS said out of 1271 CSWs (Imphal project) screened 12.98 percent were found infected with HIV.

Of the total number of CSWs covered by the same project 52 had died of different factors including shooting by unidentified armed persons for their being prostitutes, she said.

For Senapati project that was launched in 2003, MLSS has so far covered 1113 CSWs .

Many CSWs covered by the two projects are divorcees.

Besides working outreach programme for condom promotion and raising awareness programme on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) etc, MLSS also has a Sexually Transmitted Disease clinic at Imphal that provides free treatment and medicine to the CSWs.

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