Former prostitute tells story of her life of hell
Exploitation, rape and substance abuse are some of the realities faced by sex workers on a daily basis.
MBOMBELA – Former sex worker, Hildah Tlou has made it off the streets. Last weekend she revisited some of the old sites in the area where her previous life had played out.
She is currently filming a biographical documentary film about her previous life as a sex worker.
It aims to caution young girls across the country not to follow in her footsteps.
In the documentary, Tlou takes viewers from Ngodwana to a dingy brothel flat in Anderson Street, where she worked as a prostitute.
She met up with Lowvelder on Saturday while shooting footage for the film.
Tlou was raised by a single mother. She also fell pregnant young and dropped out of school in grade 10 to look after her baby.
“As a child, I was abused sexually and physically by men my mother brought home.
“I have experienced sexual abuse, domestic violence and prostitution from a young age. I was also a victim of teenage pregnancy and drug abuse. This was the story of my life, and I want to share it with young girls. They should think twice when making life-changing decisions. They should think about the results of their bad choices,” said Tlou.
With a shoestring budget, she is adamant her story will change many lives.
“I decided to change my life by talking about the past. I approached radio stations and newspapers. With the doccie, I want to reach out to as many people as possible,” she said.
Hildah said dangerous environments are all in a day’s work for a prostitute.
“I was raped, and told by the police I am a prostitute and cannot be raped. It is tough on the streets. People don’t respect you as a human being. You become desperate to sell your body to feed your addiction.”
The producer of the film, Rebekah Ness from Iowa, USA, met Tlou through a foundation called Ten Thousand Homes, which is based in White River.
“I have been working in media and communications for a while. I have a desire to share stories of what other people are going through in other parts of the world, which is why I am in South Africa. I met Hildah and she asked me if I could help her in a project, which was a challenge I was happy to accept,” said Ness.
Hildah said she hopes her documentary will be released through Heartlines’ What’s Your Story? a story-based initiative to promote understanding, cohesion, trust and reconciliation.
