After a ban shut down Mumbai’s dance bars, many bar girls turned sex workers while others left the city in search of livelihood. But some others have found better ways to live here, thanks to the Sanmitra Trust initiative.

Prabha Desai, a professor at Patkar College who runs the NGO, started the initiative in 2002, to create awareness about HIV among commercial sex workers.  In 2004, she started a clinic in Malwani to help HIV-infected commercial sex workers. With the ban on dance bars in 2004, Desai had bar girls coming to her for counseling on various issues, including job options.

The first break came when four former bar dancers, who were initially drawn into prostitution, started making dabbas and delivered it to a movie unit. “They soon became famous and now get orders from a number of other clients from the entertainment industry,” said Desai.

With help from Sanmitra, former bar dancer Naseem Bano was able to start a small cosmetics shop. Kiran from West Bengal was encouraged by Sanmitra counsellors to do a computer course. She now helps other former bar girls and sex workers in carrying out bank work.

Another dancer Kusum, said: “I was 18 when I got into this profession. I always wanted to quit, but had no other option to earn money. It was only after I got in touch with Sanmitra, that I got my chance.” Kusum now works as an office assistant.

Five sex workers have been hired and are paid a monthly stipend of Rs5,000 each to help the NGO in holding seminars and meetings with commercial sex workers in Malwani.

DNA