TOUGH AT FIRST, GOOD AT LAST. VOLUME
44
TERESA
I grew up in the rural areas, where we were using donkeys to plough our fields, for our family to survive. When I discovered that I was tired of farming I planned to leave my country to South Africa to seek for a better living. But the problem was that I didn’t have travelling documents, so the only way for me to get to South Africa was by illegally jumping the border. When I arrived to South Africa I was renting in a shack that I never saw or stayed in before. I started to sell vegetables because I didn’t know where to get a job. My vegetable business didn’t work out so I decided to go to church to seek spiritual advice. That too didn’t work for me, my friends advised me to do sex work. So I bought cosmetics to improve my complexion. While I was doing sex work I got into a relation with one guy and he lied to me and said he was going to take care of me. Then I decide to get pregnant with his child and when I told him I was pregnant he dumped me. I ended up having two mind, to carry the full term of the pregnancy or to have an abortion. I chose to have an abortion, because the pregnancy was not making life any easier. I did the abortion by myself in the toilet. I didn’t manage to do it clearly so ended up going to the clinic for help. At the clinic they advised me not to have unprotected sex when doing business, and start family planning incase on emergency.
I started by selling vegetables because I didn’t know where to get a job
I went to sex work because I was now wise, now I’m able to send money home because of sex work.
I was planning to leave my country coming to South Africa to seek for a better living. I was not having a passport so I choose to jump the border
VOLUME
44
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8
1. It reminds me when I was still at home, using donkeys for plowing our fields for the family to survive. 2. It didn’t work for me so I decided to go to church for the prophets to help me. 3. Now I’m able to send money home because I’m now doing my job wisely and enjoy my life as a sex worker. 4. I first stayed in mukhukhu house that I never saw or stayed before. 5. I decided to do an abortion by myself in a public toilet.
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6. The abortion taught me a lesson not to trust any one when doing sex work. I get advice from the health worker at the clinic and they helped me to use protection to prevent unwanted pregnancies. 7. I became pregnant because I was not using any protection with the one who was cheating me that he was going to look after me. When I was pregnant I had two thoughts, to either carry the full term or terminate it. 8. My friends advised me to do sex work so I bought cosmetics for my complexion to look good.
TERESA
1