Ok, so I knew trafficking was a complex issue, causing complex consequences, but this one I totally didn’t expect. Apparently there are a number of Italian male clients who end up marrying the foreign sex workers they picked up on the street. I know right?! It blows my mind! I’ve seen many mixed couples in Turin, some of which are former client- former sex worker duos. The local paper “Africa Times” profiled the story of a couple- Claudio and Isoke. Claudio, driving around one night, spotted Isoke, wanted to “hire” her for the evening, and they ended up falling in love. They even wrote a book about it and started a local organization for other couples like them (reformed clients and rescued sex workers). Now these couples meet to discuss ways to get other girls off the street and encourage men to stop “buying” girls for the evening. The article quotes,

“Claudio says when the male members of the association go out to the streets to meet clients of prostitutes, they tell them we were like you, we also went for these girls, but realized that most of them are slaves, and by continuing to come here for them, we contribute to their slavery’. They normally invite the clients to join them for a discussion on how they can jointly help the prostitutes. Many clients of course do reject their invitation while some do join them”

Now, get me right- I’m in no way poking fun at these couples. I’ve met a few couples in my time here who fall in this category and are living happily with children.
It’s just interesting…that’s all…

(This blog, and the others, can also be viewed on the Making Noise site at: http://www.myspace.com/livethenoise
Making Noise- using arts and media to “make noise” about social injustices affecting Africans))