This spring, NYU Prague students got a chance to see Prague from a very different point of view – through the eyes of homeless people. Pragulic – an award-winning nonprofit organization in Prague- employs guides who have lived on the streets to share their experiences with their audience. Since 2012, when the organization was launched, thousands of people have gone on these tours – including NYU Prague student Christina Karahisarlidis, who shares her reflection on the experience:
With one walk-through, it’s not possible to know all of the secrets Prague’s Wenceslas Square is keeping. After going on a tour with Pragulic, my knowledge of what really happens at Wenceslas Square and beyond it increased dramatically. I hadn’t really thought about what I’d be seeing on the tour and I didn’t have any expectations.
When our small group gathered for the tour, we were standing around two men and a woman. One of the men had striking black eye shadow and false eyelashes. Looking down at his hands, I noticed his long, acrylic, purple nails and countless silver and gold rings. He wore a long black coat, carried a black messenger bag, leaned on a cane, and had cigarettes in his pocket. The other man was dressed in a plaid button-down and khaki pants. His appearance was not as striking as the first man’s. The woman’s hair was red but other than that, her appearance was rather conservative. We were introduced to our two tour guides and our translator, respectively. Our tour guides had been homeless and they were immediately open to any of our questions.
We were given an introduction to homelessness in Prague. There are about 8,500 people living on the streets for reasons such as mental disabilities, unemployment, divorce, etc. We headed to Wenceslas Square where we were told many prostitutes work. Many of the prostitutes are men and some start as young as eleven years old. Our false-lashed tour guide told us he began prostitution when he was fifteen years old. After being asked how he managed to get out, he told us he did because a client gave him HIV. I had hoped he was going to say he stopped because a client took him out of that situation. The truth saddened me.
The atmosphere of the tour was darker for me from that point on. We were shown an old hotel that used to host prostitutes. We heard about odd sexual requests that prostitutes have had; many included being beaten by clients. Hearing about these things from someone who experienced them firsthand made it all seem more tangible.
The corruption that fuels the prostitution in Wenceslas Square was difficult for me to understand. The Square is essentially divided in two legal authorities: one that doesn’t tolerate prostitution and one that does. I find this division strange, but I guess it works.
Our tour guides quizzed us to see if we knew where the homeless slept. Sometimes they sleep in airports; if they look clean, no one will kick them out. Being accepted into a squatting community is a long process, but one of our guides squatted for a while. Because of health complications, he had to move elsewhere. Luckily, healthcare in the Czech Republic is a beautiful thing and it’s available for everyone, as long as they have their card. This might have been the only positive thing I heard on the tour.
The tour was an eye-opening experience that made me reflect on my own life. Hearing about what life is actually like for those without a home allowed for a self-reflection that simply walking through Prague doesn’t permit.