Helping Women Get Out of Sex Industry: Pastor Beatrice Byemanzi, Dr Helen Lugone and Mrs Mable Sebikari at Worship Harvest Church on July 16, 2020.
For the individuals who walk along the streets of Kabalagala, a neighborhood in Kampala, restoration and the hope of salvation among female commercial sex workers who parade this area seems far-off.
This could all be changing, thanks to one ministry that has embarked on a mission of bringing the gospel to the commercial sex industry, targeting Kabalagala and several other suburbs of Kampala.
Worship Harvest Ministry’s Vessels Of Light Missional Community on 16 July, 2020 revealed how they are reaching out to sex workers with the love of Jesus, noting that the initiative has brought light to the lives of many women in this particular industry.
Vessels Of Light Missional Community leader Dr Helen Lugone who is also a family physician at Kevina Medical Centre in Muyenga said they provide support and a potential way out for sex workers.
“When this team did a prayer walk in their community, they realized that there are so many young women doing sex work. They pondered that if they can empower them, and deal with their economic issue, then we can end up dealing with the social and spiritual issue,” Pastor Beatrice Byemanzi who serves with Worship Harvest Church said.
“The team started by taking food to the ladies during the visits. Then, they introduced them to education opportunities and economic empowerment (projects),” she continued. “This is someone’s sister, mother or daughter, that life had pushed to the corner where they thought the only way out is to sell their bodies for money.”
According to Dr Helen Lugone Vessels Of Light Missional Community started in May 2018 and currently has eight full time members.
“Basically, what we do is go out and try and make change – mainly social change, with hope that it will lead to spiritual change among sex workers in Kabalagala and the Katanga area,” she said.
The ministry’s success stories include that of one former sex worker who started her own hair saloon in Kawempe and used the money she had secured from the ministry’s savings club at Vessels Of Light to buy some of the required equipment.
Another former sex worker in their care went to a tailoring school and even managed to save enough money to buy a plot of land. She shared her story with Dr Helen Lugone saying when her old clients would call her after school, she would turn off her phone.
“As Christians we are called to do more than just be consumers. Jesus came and died for us, and gave His life for us. What are we going to do for the Kingdom?,” Dr Helen Lugone questioned.
Her encouragement to the body of Christ is to be part of furthering the Kingdom of God by joining a missional group to change the immediate communities and as a result, the world.
Mrs Mable Sebikari Magezi, who doubles as the Environmental Specialist at Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) works with Dr Helen Lugone to minister to commercial sex workers.
For her, being part of the missional community and at the forefront of the operations has been a lesson.
“Before the lockdown, we had started doing prayer walks within the communities where these ladies do their work. During my very first prayer walk and outreach to them, touching them and praying with them changed my focus and spiritual walk,” she said.
“Before it was about, ‘what can I get from God?’, but now its, ‘what can I do for these people who are less fortunate than me?’ I have seen tremendous growth as a result of continuously going out and praying for these people, and even following them up as I do my pastoral care work for Worship Harvest – Gaba road,” she added.
It should be remembered that in 2018, Worship Harvest Ministries accorded Rev Diana Nkesiga, one of the first women to be ordained by the Anglican Church of Uganda, an award for her effort in taking sex workers off the streets in Kampala and other areas.
