The following is a very sad story of the lives of Children who are forced for one reason or anther to be involved in prostitution in this time of the rapid expansion of the deadly disease -Aids. The story as told by the children themselves is presented below. It is to be noted, however, that the names used here are all fictitious.

"One day" says ALMAZ who is 16 and the youngest in a poor family of eight," I decided to leave my parents and go to live with my uncle who resides in Markato. I came all the way from Urael on foot and was tired. I sat near Shewa bakery (the Shewa bakery referred to here is the one found in the vicinity of Fojjam Berenda) to take some rest. Soon a girl approached me and asked me whether I were looking for a job. The girl told me all the angel-like characters of my future employer. I, therefore decided not to go to my uncle since I could now support myself. I found the old lady, my employer, to be very kind and caring. We spend the whole day talking but I still did not know what my job was supposed to be. At dusk she ordered me and the other girls to get dressed and go out. I asked where to? The "baluka"(we call the land ladies by such a name) answered that I should stand by the street and if a man approaches me I should ask two birr for "short" and ten for the whole night. I stood for some time but I could not stand it. I hate the job and myself. I then fled back to my kebele where I met my friend Beletu. Beletu is my friend I grew up with and who also worked with me as baby sitter in some other place in Urael. She had also quarrelled with her parents and was thinking of running away. I told her about the old lady of Shewa bakery. And I suggested that we go to the old lady, "work" for some time, save some money and go somewhere else. It is now more than two months since we came here. There are about 20 "balukas" in the vicinity of Shewa bakery. The house in which we "work" is owned by two "balukas". Our "baluka" has six children working under her and the other has five. The bed in the house belongs to the "baluka". We also entertain our clients in it if what they ask is for a while (short). The kind of prostitution under the "balukas" is called share. For we share what we get from it with the "balukas". While we stand by the street the old lady herself or someone appointed by her would keep an eye on us. No sooner we talked with a customer and agreed, she would appear from nowhere, tell the man to take us, and grab whatever was offered to us. We are not allowed to receive money at all. 50% of the money we make would go to the "baluka." Life will be even more terrible if we not get some one to go with; the "baluka" curses and speaks vilely. She even beats us sometimes. If we go out during the day without her permission too, we are sure to be beaten when we come back. There is nothing that she does for us. We pay for our food and other necessary things. In fact our earning can do nothing beyond that. When we have no men, we sleep on the floor spreading our clothes. She considers us as material things and not as human beings. Since she is the one who receives the money we have no right to say no to a man even if he is repulsive. I and Beletu always think of leaving but for reasons unknown for us we are still here.

SELAM is a 17 years old county girl who had never attended school. It is only 20 days since she started prostitution. She is from a broken home. She left her mother and came to Addis to live with her father. But unfortunately she could not be in good terms with her step mother who has given birth to three children to Selam's father.

She started prostitution without being aware of it. She met a girl around the bus station who asked her whether she would mind working in someone's home for a good pay. Selam agreed and the other girl brought her to one of the "balukas" near Shewa bakery. There are eight other "girls" under this "baluka" who are all under 18 except one. The "baluka" resides somewhere else and the house in which the girls live in is her work place. Her living depends on it. If the girls are not lucky to get some one to pass the night with, the "baluka" would be nasty and would sometimes beat them and farce them to pass the night outside. "Now", says Selam, "all the girls, save me, are sleeping sick of one or another disease related to the genitals. I think it is because they frequently "do it" with many men within a short period of time in the past two days. After all the "baluka" will not give us a second's time provided that there are enough customers.

FRIE is seventeen and have attended school up to the seventh grade. She is also an orphan. "A friend of mine who used to live in Addis came to Nazareth (my home town) and told me that there is a lot of money to be made by engaging in prostitution. I aspired to get money and support my three orphaned sisters. So another friend of mine and myself came to Addis with her. "Says Frie. Her friend died not long after she introduced her to one of the "balukas" near Shewa bakery. "But I could not support three orphan children by working with the "blukas" as the income is meagre and half of it goes to the "baluka". I therefore left Shewa bakery and went to the present place - Woreda 7 Kebele 32. I now live in a one-room house with five other "girls" (prostitutes). We each pay four birr a week. Though the owners of the house reside in the same house, we also cover all the expenses of light and water. "However", Frie continued," it is better than "share" (the exercise with the "balukas") because, for one, I can refuse to go with a man with whom I feel un comfortable and secondly we earn better and all our earnings go to our purse. Since the Shewa bakery "balukas" know that we earn better and this would be tempting to their girls, they sometimes hire "duryes" (gangsters) who would beat and if possible tape us. I have been raped once due to such a reason. I have been raped once due to such a reason. I receive 10-20 birr for a night earning about a hundred birr per month on average. I would gladly leave this business for a job of 50 birr a month except being a house maid as it would not pay enough to support my sisters. I visit my sisters in Nazareth who are 5th, 3rd and 1st grade students every month or two depending on my saving; though they do not know what I am doing to support them".

FIKIRTE is 17 and has completed her elementary education. She was born is Shiromeda, Addis Ababa. Her father is dead. Her mother sells small items for her living. We met Fikirte near the Sport's Commission building which is the only place she can call home for the last three years. She speaks of herself as follows: "I ran away from home three years ago. While I was loitering around this building a man came forward and asked me to go with him promising to pay a certain amount. I went with him without really knowing what will follow. I had never slept with a man before. I continued to do the same ever since. Seven other girls of my age, who are now my friends are also leading the same life as myself. We stand by the street every night waiting for customers. The one who is not lucky enough to get any would borrow some money from the one who did and rent a bed for the night. If none of us get, we would pass the night roaming around the town. We receive 10-20 birr, be it for "short" or for the whole night. I have a son I delivered here. He is three months old. My friends helped me during delivery and now if I got a client some one who does not will take care of the child. I use condoms unless forced to do otherwise. I have never tried to get a job either in bars or any where else. Since I know no other life or work, I have never thought of any thing else."

MARTHA is 15 and was born in Nazareth. After the death of her father, her mother, who sells used clothes for her living, remarried. Martha soon became at odds with her step father. When she could no longer live with him she fled to Addis. It is now about three years since she became a street walker. "Street boys have repeatedly tried to rape me" Martha says." A friend of mine who had a "ferenj" (white man) boy friend (she has gone abroad with him now) and who knew that I was virgin introduced me to another "ferenj" Neither I know the nationality nor the mane of this man with whom I started sexual inter course. I never saw him after the first day of our meeting". Since then she found herself a prostitute. Martha says," I always go for a "short" and earn 5-10 birr for each, though some pay me more than that, sometimes even 50 birr. Sometimes I do not get "business" for three or more days. Such days are terrible. No food, no sleeping place, no cigarettes and c hat."

Martha has also told us that, besides her prostitution, she sometimes engage herself in begging.