Bombay Brothels

After one last day in Bangalore with Sanjeev's family I was off to Mumbai to try and find a new volunteer project. Shiva was meeting me there to make it happen given all of his connections. It was sad to say goodbye to the Reddys after getting to know them over the months. Their hospitality was incredible and I now have some more new friends to visit on my next trip :)

I left their house early to have plenty of time to explore the new, fancy Bangalore airport. I had a lovely time there (strange I know, but I love a good airport with nice shops to peruse, good coffee places etc). Shiva insisted on picking me up at the airport in Mumbai so nobody would snatch me, and I have to say it's the greatest feeling to meet a friend in another country. Meeting Corrine in Bangkok and seeing Renato in Peru were great moments for me. But enough about airports..Once in Mumbai we went to stay at a student hostel at an institute where Shiva used to study, I think in the 70s. It brought me back to my' University College days :)

Shiva's "program" as they like to call it in India, started at 9 the next morning. He wanted to get me used to taking the local bus, so as the locals do, we ran to catch it and then spent the next 1.5 hours travelling from the North of Mumbai to the South. Our first stop was the office of Aastha Parivaar, an organization of and for sex workers. Shiva knew of this organization through his work with KHPT and that they did the type of work that I was interested in. We were warmly greeted by the staff and received a presentation on what they did.

AP as I will refer to it, is an umbrella organization providing leadership and support to 14 Community Based Organizations (CBOs) which provide support and services to all types of sex workers (meaning brothel, street, lodge, home etc, and including women, men, and transgendered). They distribute condoms, educate/counsel re: HIV, do STI screening, teach other skills to supplement their income, respond to crisis situations, run self help groups etc. The CBOs are all run by sex workers and elected representatives from each make up the AP Board, which directs the activities of the whole organization. Their annual fundraising event involves big stars in India, they've just published a book of women's stories for sale, make products such as homemade chocolates and makeup, and even have their own brand of condoms (can you believe that?!)

Maybe this is too much info but the women weren't happy with the condoms that AP used to distribute which led to AP creating their own. For one they wanted packaging that looked more like a shampoo packet (in India you don't have to buy a big bottle of shampoo and instead can buy packets of shampoo for a couple rupees which is great when you have little money). So the new condoms look more like these packets and now cost them 2 rupees each. They also wanted something with extra lubrication and in flavours; their favourite being paan flavour which is the nasty bettel leaf that they all chew and love. If you saw a Facebook picture of me with a turned up face after trying it, that's it, but it is hugely popular here. But anyway the interesting thing is that the sex workers directed what they wanted and AP created a product which the sex workers are more likely to use, which will prevent HIV. I was impressed by this organization and knew I wanted to be apart of it. Thankfully they were open to it, despite never having international volunteers before, and the plan was for me to start after the weekend. So easy to arrange and I was thrilled! Once again it was thanks to Shiva, my hero!

After lunch we headed to Kamathipura, Mumbai's famous brothel area. I didn't realize that we were actually in it until Shiva pointed out that essentially every building on the street was a brothel. The area is old, very poor, the streets cluttered and dirty and the buildings, some up to 8 storeys high, in poor shape. You couldn't even imagine that people lived in them, but the clothes hanging outside was evidence that they did.

First we walked down the narrow crowded streets looking for the brothel of a woman Shiva knew from a former project. There were cots outside of the brothels which either men or women lounged/slept on basically in the middle of the street. The men weren't customers but rather security I gather.

We easily found the brothel we were looking for and before I knew it we were in one! Like the others it was a very old building with a very narrow and dark entrance and stone/dirt floor. Inside we found a small, narrow room, which had a "kitchen" on the left and bathroom at the back, which was all cement and pretty primitive looking. On the left of the room were what I would describe as "cubbies." Suspended off the floor were these 4 cubbies which had sliding doors, and were about 5-6 ft long by about 3 ft wide. The whole area was covered with a thin matress and pillow, and the wall had a little cabinet with toiletries and such, and the other wall some clothes. And in this tiny space where women both live and bring their clients, I sat and hung out while Shiva talked with the "Madam" of the brothel, a woman in her 40s I would guess, who was from the same village as him and again whom he had known from years back through one of the projects he had done through KHPT. He hadn't seen her for about 6 years but she remembered him and greeted us happily. Her aunt was there visiting as well along with 2 young boys. One of the boys was especially somber looking until I passed around some chocolates (which I had bought at AP and been made by the sex workers), after which he temporarily came alive, with a huge smile that lasted until the chocolate was gone. I couldn't help but wonder what circumstances he came from; was his mother a sex worker as well? Did he know that he was in a brothel and what that meant?

I scoured the room, trying to observe every little thing as Shiva talked with the women. He translated some of what they were saying including that business was down which the Madam believed was due to men not wanting to come to the brothels like before as they are scared of AIDS. Before we got there Shiva had told me that Kamantipur used to have around 50,000 sex workers whereas now there is only about 10-15,000. That number is still incredible. The Madam shared that the girls would now go and hang around places like the bus station and pick up clients there without letting on that they are brothel workers. If the client was well off they would go to a lodge (hotel) and if not she would say she has a friend's place that she could use. She would then bring them back to the brothel and rent out the cubby for a short time. So the Madam makes some money this way on top of the 4 girls she has working for her. She gets 50% of their earnings and Shiva estimated that she would make about 20,000 rupees ($400) per month (that's a guess though). But again the Madam said business is poor. Shiva encouraged her to not bring her own daughter to work and instead to let her stay in the village to finish her school. The Madam said that was her plan although I wasn't sure if it was because business was poor, or whether she just didn't want that for her daughter.

That's how the Madam gets her girls; she brings them from her village to work; picking the fair, pretty, and young ones. She offers money to the girl/their family which they can't refuse. These girls aren't trafficked in the true sense (held against their will), and rather the Madam takes good care of them otherwise she would risk not being able to get future girls from her village.

As we were talking a couple of young, pretty sex workers came down from their rooms on the second floor to visit with us. There was no vibe of fear from them and they presented as friends to the Madam, and as if we were in their home. One of the girls was very smiley, and very interested in me. She told Shiva a couple times that she should put some makeup on me and take me out as she thought the men would like me. Nice offer but no thanks. I jokingly asked the Madam how much she charged for a "room" given that I was looking for a place to stay :) and was told 4000 rupees per month ($80). Shiva then joked that she could likely make more money than that from me if I were staying there as I'd be popular. They had a good laugh at the joke, including the little boy which made me uncomfortable. When I pointed out that the boy was privy to this adult conversation Shiva explained that the kids that grow up in this area all know what their mothers, aunts, sisters and so on are doing. Some families actually use them to earn a little extra. For example the customer will pay the kid to scram if he wants to have some privacy with the sex worker. So my question from earlier was answered; the children know. What an unbelievable reality some kids live in.

After a short time the two younger girls left. The one girl said someone had called her. We knew that she was going out to work and sure enough as we left she was hanging out on the street pretending not to live and work in a brothel I suppose. I didn't take any pictures while we were in the brothel as I felt bad asking. Shiva said after that was silly as he knew the Madam and it wouldn't have been a problem. Then I was kicking myself as I could have shared the experience with all of you.

So while we were visiting, an outreach worker from another NGO came by. This was another organization that Shiva had suggested I could work with. So when the outreach worker said she wanted to take us back to her office, we went with her. On the way we met several of their outreach workers; most of whom are peer counsellors; that is active sex workers that work for the organization. As we walked I observed with fascination and disbelief, street after street, building after building; everyplace was either a brothel or affiliated in some way with one. The outreach worker pointed out streets which primarily had girls from Bangladesh or West Bengal, two areas where more girls are coming from these days. Many girls were lingering around outside (clearly sex workers), and when you saw men, you couldn't help but think of them as customers. It is highly unlikely living in an area of brothels that these men would not be taking part.

We arrived at the NGO and sat and waited for the board members to show up. Shiva had called yet another contact who arranged for them to come. The President, Vice and so on, all former sex workers (they are now in their 40s and 50s) met with us and the organization`s mandate was explained. Like AP it is primarily about health, and preventing HIV. But they also provide support, advocacy and other services to 3000 sex workers in 2 areas. I asked whether they were able to get access to all the brothels and were told that yes, unless there were underage sex workers, or trafficked girls, as not surprisingly they wouldn`t be out in the open. Instead these girls are in bungalows (hotel rooms) and out of the way. If they come across a girl who wants to escape, they will try and help her, but do not report it to police as it would not only jeopardize the organization`s relationship in the community; but the police are typically allowing it to happen, being paid to look the other way so to speak. `Hafta` it`s called, when the brothels pay police to leave them alone. Imagine that. If you can't even count on the police to protect you then who is going to?

Shiva offered these folks my services such as assisting with proposal writing, policies and such. If they call I will be more than happy to help them, but otherwise didn't see this organization as an option for me. It seemed quite lax, unorganized and there was little English. Shiva agreed that AP was a far better option.

So one of the members was from around where Shiva is from so they had an instant connection. He asked her if we could come and see her home to which she said (through him), that if we come we have to stay at least the night; that she has a very big house. I laughed it off, not knowing whether she was serious or not, but away we went, walking back through Kamantipur to her home. On the way back we ended up sitting with some women sitting outside of the cots that I already spoke of. Shiva wanted me to take some pictures knowing that they would like to see their picture. And they did. One woman was proudly showing a picture of her own; a picture of a nice house that she had built for her family in her village. Shiva had told me previously that a lot of the money that these women make from sex work gets sent back to their family, and that to build a nice house brings with it prestige. It makes what they had to do for it worthwhile in their eyes.

We also went into another building, up several flights of stairs to the room of another board member who Shiva knew. On the way up the narrow, rickety stairs, on each floor we could see rooms filled with women, just sitting and waiting. The woman didn't answer her door; she could have been with a customer, we didn't know, but down we went again, seeing those woman for a second time.

We eventually arrived at the board member's home which I would describe as a closet. Honestly, a concrete closet where she, her 20 year old daughter Lakshmi, and her 3 year old granddaughter live. I have never seen a living space so small and was shocked to hear that they have lived in this room for over 25 years. I can't see 3 people being able to sleep there. She told us that when she moved in it had cost only 25 rupees per month and now she pays 2500, although gets a discount due to having lived there so long. Back in the day they didn't have a fan, water or bathroom but now have these "amenities."

As we sat and talked in the hallway, neighbours were all around; one woman, Lakshmi's best friend Pinky, cooked for her family on a hot plate and later washed the dishes beside us. Another older woman cooked inside her room which was noticeable by the fire she had made. Another elderly ex sex worker/board member showed off her room, another concrete closet that she lived in alone. I took some pictures which they enjoyed seeing, and passed around some of the AP chocolates. I imagine that it's not everyday a foreigner comes to visit, and they were all very welcoming.

The board member had been a Devadasi, meaning Servant to God, which I've talked about before. Essentially she was initiated into sex worker at 15 which is when she came to Bombay and has never left. She doesn't know her exact age but said 40-45 and cried some as she talked about her life. She pulled out pictures of her adult son who had died a couple years back. She told us that he had died of TB but Shiva suspected it was likely HIV given the brothel environment he had grown up in. She is now caring for his daughter while a sibling is with the mother. She also showed us pictures of her longtime partner, Lakshmi's father, who had also died.

She no longer works as a sex worker as she is too old for customers who can instead have their pick of young girls. It made me wonder how she supports herself and was happy to hear that she receives 3000 rupees per month as a board member. Although that isn't enough for 3 people.

Lakshmi sat with us for awhile. She was quite pretty, sophisticated looking, soft spoken and sweet. She told me she had finished 10th grade and could talk some English. I wanted to know more about her but she had to go.

The board member was upset as she wanted us to stay for something to eat. Imagine that. She has almost nothing, yet wanted to give us a meal. We said our goodbyes and went on our way, out of an area full of brothels, sex workers, pimps and customers. A world of its own. As we walked and debriefed Shiva answered my question of how they supported themselves (the board member's family). I didn't want to hear him say it but deep down I already knew. Lakshmi is now working as a sex worker to support the family. This "profession" has been passed down from one generation to another, like families such as mine where my aunts became nurses just like my grandmother. But in this family it is sex work that is being passed on, and sadly, the destiny of the granddaughter will quite likely be the same.