Naa-Djama Attoh Okine
Health Development Initiative
Kigali, Rwanda
My first couple of weeks at the HDI office have been an absolute whirlwind experience. On June 19, I took a five-minute cab drive to a small two-story building in Kicukiro Center. The ground floor houses a sexual health clinic, a small laboratory for community-based research and STI/HIV testing, and an administrative desk. A detached staircase leads to the second level—my mainstay the next 10 weeks in Kigali.
With a 15-seater round table, bright windows, and a massive library of binders and notebooks at the entrance, the space immediately made me aware of the teamwork-based approach to that HDI utilizes for problem-solving.
Because I arrived on the third Monday of the month, almost everyone at the organization was present to discuss their progress on a multitude of projects. Toni, the communications officer and de-facto internship advisor, asked that I take notes on each of the members’ projects and to find an assignment that seemed most aligned with my interests.
I was in awe of the amazing assignments my colleagues were responsible for, from US Embassy grant proposals and gardening initiatives for the Twa minority, to the implementation of a sexual health hotline and applications for observer status in the African Union.
After copious note-taking and a detailed discussion with Executive Director Dr. Aflodis Kagaba, I was partnered with HIV Project Coordinator Gisele and asked to design a day-long workshop on HIV prevention and human rights, targeted to sex workers. This project soon expanded into a summer research assignment. I am now tasked with creating a comprehensive training manual for community health workers and HDI staff members regarding issues faced by female sex workers (FSWs) in Rwanda. This manual will include a detailed overview of key issues faced by FSWs (discrimination, HIV infection, rape and sexual assault, etc.), lesson plans and workshop materials for peer educators, pertinent surveys, etc.
While the formulation of the training manual has taken up most of my work time, I have also had the opportunity to meet with colleagues and learn more about the current legal statute of sex work in Rwanda. The current doctrine follows a “one-strike” rule of sorts for people involved in prostitution, allowing for a relatively light sentence and counseling for first-time offenders. However, subsequent arrests can lead to heavy fines, extended jail sentences, and long-lasting stigma.
At HDI, we support the decriminalization of sex work in an effort to uphold the right to health and labor for FSWs, combat human trafficking, and end discrimination.
To be continued…
