I had a difficult time labeling this blog entry because I don't know how to sum up all of the things I did and encountered in a couple of words, but I think Nashik in a Nutshell will do. There is a honking language used on the Indian roads. (I'm sure you all have heard of the Indian road situation before). I haven't quite decoded the language, but I think it might depend on the driver with how many times they honk or the duration of their honk. The honking can mean multiple things, such as telling people walking that they are there, they honk when they are passing another vehicle, or they honk to ask the vehicle ahead of them if someone is coming, they honk when someone is driving too slowly, and when people are walking too slowly as well. I have never seen an Indian driver yell or get mad, so the honking is not linked with a negative connotation as it is in the United States. However, the honking is not the only difference, surprising I know. ;) The driving is as well very interesting. I am not quite sure why they put lines on the road because NO ONE stays on their side. I am also surprised that I haven't seen a car accident. Every time I sit in the vehicle I get a sense of security, which is very ironic because first there are no seatbelts and if there is a seatbelt there is nowhere to clip it in. Secondly, all of the cars come inches away from one another, so right when I am done praying we don't die they honk and glide past each other. Luckily, I will never set foot in the drivers' seat while I am here so I think I'll survive.

Once we got to Nashik we met the director of the Mukta Project which is targeted for female sex workers and men having sex with men, and migrant workers for the Nashik District. She spoke very good English, so I was able to sit back and relax without trying to make out what she was trying to say. We then watched some documentaries on what they were trying to do to help the targeted population. The Mukta project was established in August 2005 and their mission is to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS, empower the targeted population and provide condoms and medical help. There are many dimensions of the program so I think I will start with the female sex workers. In India, it is legal to have a profession as a female sex worker but it is illegal to solicit their services. Most female sex workers are illiterate which heightens their risk for HIV/AIDS and STIs. At first the Mukta project had a difficult time being able to work with the brothel owners and the non-brothel based sex workers. The female sex workers did not trust these people coming from the outside, but once they understood that they were there to benefit them, the project was able to be implemented. The idea of the Mukta project is to unite all of the female sex workers from different places in Nashik and form a community based organization now known as Disha Organization. This will allow the female sex workers to work together and solve similar problems that they may have at their own "office." Mukta works with the female sex workers through peer educators. The peer educators are (were) female sex workers as well, but they provide information about the different diseases linked with unprotected sex and provide them with condoms and make sure that the female sex workers receive an HIV screenings every six months and STI screenings every three months. They also have a component called Intervida that takes care of the workers' children providing them with a safe environment. Although, most of the workers, that are mothers, understand that the environment is not acceptable for children, so most of the children are in boarding schools. Another challenge Mukta faced is that most of the FSWs did not have any proof of identification or documents to live independently, or put their child in school. So Mukta helps them receive ration cards, which is an identification card. The Mukta project also works with the police. Now the FSWs and the police understand each other, and protect the workers from ruffians (hooligans). I was able to interview five peer educators and tour some of the brothels. The peer educators were very nice, although they did not speak English so there was a translator. Each peer educator is responsible for 60 women and is available 24/7. Most of the information they told us I was informed about. Most female sex workers join that profession because of poverty or trafficking but some make that choice. Their major challenge is that they are illiterate which makes this difficult to speak up and have a voice. The profession is an age profession so as a worker becomes older there is no security of living a healthy life. The brothels were on the side of the street. We walked through a tarp to see women sitting in a line doing their make-up. The buildings, as most building are around here, were not buildings at all. They were built with whatever they had, some were built with signs, and tarps, whatever they could get their hands on. The first brothel we went to was at 10:30am and there were approximately 15 men waiting. It was a little uncomfortable in the brothels, we obviously were holding up business and some of the men kept trying to ask us how much we were with their hands. They told us the average age for a female sex worker was 20 to 30, but they didn't look a year over 15. It is illegal for a female under the age of 18 years old to work as a prostitute in India. So, for the sake of myself I am going to tell myself that they follow this law. There are about 15-20 female workers at one brothel. I can imagine some of you reading this with your eyes wide open. This is exactly how I felt in the moment at the brothels. I was telling myself to be normal, but I am sure that people could see right through the disguise. I don't regret the experience though. I am glad they shared this with us, because this is a major health issue. And after all people are people; we are all human beings. So I admire the project, because they are being realistic. This profession is going to continue, it has for decades. All the project is trying to do is reduce the occupational hazards and empower the individuals. The debate is all the same globally. Through the lens of a public health student, I would rather give them the tools and knowledge to someone in order to empower them and keep them healthy, rather than turn my head. Of course I haven't even touched my experience with the MSMs or the migrant workers, but I think I will leave that to a different day!