Foundation looks out for sex workers

Badilika Foundation has been launched in Blantyre to offer spiritual, health and economic support to sex workers in the city.

Speaking at the launch on Friday last week, executive director for the foundation Pastor Forbes Msiska said the organisation will provide behaviour change counseling, improve their level of participation in the civil society, advance their human rights and gender equality.

“We will advocate for their rights to access of information, quality health care and other social services. We started as a community group and now we have upgraded to a non governmental organisation (NGO). We are facilitating spiritual transformation and building community groups of sex workers in to prevent HIV, STIs and unintended pregnancies,” said Msiska.

He said Badilika Foundation has already sent 850 women to hospitals to access health services and also train some sex workers in various skills such as carpentry and welding.

Badilika is a Swahili word for change. It was founded in 2006 as a Faith-Based Organisation (FBO).