The Hidden World of Child Prostitution

Kenya’s coast is known for several things: spotless white sand, swaying palm trees, vibrant, blue water. Each year, these beautiful attractions bring millions of international visitors to Kenya. But among the idyllic background of these sites is one more thing—child prostitution.

Along the Kenyan coast, where the issue is most severe, an estimated third of all girls from ages 12–18 have engaged in sex work (“An In-Depth Look”). With over twenty percent of the population living in extreme poverty, Kenyan society has normalized child prostitution as a means to make ends meet (Hamel). But paying these bills often comes at the cost of many of these children’s futures, creating a cycle that often proves difficult to break free of. 

The problem boils down to money. And with a booming sex tourism industry, prostitution has become the norm—so much so that families send their children to be prostitutes (Muendo). “It’s easy to get men,” one girl said. “It’s not where I wanted my life to be. But when there is no option, you do it and slowly it becomes a habit” (“An In-Depth Look”). The issue is further exacerbated as it ties into several other issues that plague Kenya. A study by Avert, an international AIDS and HIV organization, found that with millions dying from HIV and AIDS, families lose their main source of income, forcing children to find alternate sources (“The Impact of HIV”). Aside from this, many minors have also reported being pulled into drugs or alcohol as a result of prostitution or vice versa, compounding the effects of each individual issue (Wasike). 

Ironically, however, this solution to financial problems often ends up becoming cyclical in nature, pulling future generations in as well. The first way this happens is by the fact that the practice is standardized in society. With parents sending their children to be prostitutes, many grow up to follow the same path for their children, furthering the issue (Muendo). Another key way that this happens is resulting from HIV and AIDS. As a result of the disease, many students are pulled out of school, decreasing their knowledge about disease prevention and safe sex (“The Impact of HIV”). Furthermore, some go so far as to consciously forgo condoms because clients will pay more, opting for less effective and more toxic post-exposure treatments (Murenga). One girl, for instance, was born HIV-negative, but when her parents died from an AIDS-related illness, she was pushed to sex work, where she was infected. “I dropped out of school so there is nothing else,” she said. Despite her aunt trying to get her help, she was trapped in prostitution, as she perceived it as the only way to survive. “I am not looking for any help,” she said (Wasike). 

One of the key reasons that the issue persists is the lack of clear legislation and effective regulation. For the sex workers themselves, a beaurocratic process and much negative stigma makes it difficult to get help in times of crisis (Murenga). On the regulatory end, the issue is difficult to detect because many of the perpetrators are international tourists in private villas that are not monitored. Even when the child prostitution is identified, however, the government is reluctant to crack down on these international visitors, as tourism contributes ten percent to the country’s GDP, according to Lilian Mendo, a journalist in Kenya. New regulations, of course, will not always be followed, but they are the first step to mitigating the issue; long-term change will only come by breaking down societal practices and addressing underlying issues of poverty.

Works Cited

Hamel, Kristofer, Baldwin Tong, and Martin Hofer. “Poverty in Africa is Now Falling—But Not Fast Enough.” Brookings, The Brookings Institution, 28 Mar. 2019, www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2019/03/28/poverty-in-africa-is-now-falling-but-not-fast-enough/. Accessed 14 Apr. 2020.

“The Impact of HIV and AIDS on Africa.” Sexually Transmitted Diseases, edited by Roman Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010787210/OVIC?u=los42754&sid=OVIC&xid=6b9e0219. Accessed 13 Mar. 2020. Originally published as “The Impact of HIV & AIDS on Africa,” www.avert.org/aids-impact-africa.htm, 2010.

“An In-Depth Look into Child Prostitution in Kenya.” CNBC Africa, 15 Jun. 2018, www.cnbcafrica.com/news/east-africa/2018/06/15/an-in-depth-look-into-child-prostitution-in-kenya/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2020.

Muendo, Lilian. “Parents sell children as Kenya’s sex tourism normalizes exploitation.” Global Sister’s Report, National Catholic Reporter, 1 Mar. 2018, www.globalsistersreport.org/news/ministry/parents-sell-children-kenyas-sex-tourism-normalizes-exploitation-52246. Accessed 11 Mar. 2020.

Murenga, Maurice and Corin Faife. “Kenyan Sex Workers Using HIV Drugs Instead of Condoms.” The Guardian, 7 May 2014, www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/may/07/kenya-sex-workers-hiv-aids-drugs-condoms. Accessed 13 Mar. 2020.

Wasike, Andrew. “Kenyan Child Prostitute: ‘I Started Prostitution when I Started Drinking.’” Deutsche Welle, 25 Nov. 2018, www.dw.com/en/kenyan-child-prostitute-i-started-prostitution-when-i-started-drinking/a-46441837. Accessed 23 Mar. 2020.

The Tragic Symbol of the Buffalo

For our symbol, we chose the buffalo as the symbol that represents the victims of the revolution.
Four Eyes drinking the buffalo's blood represents how Mao does not lose his hold over the victims over the Cultural Revolution.

“The buffalo was still alive. I will never forget how affected I was by its long drawn-out, plaintive bellows. Under normal circumstances, the bellow of a buffalo is disagreeably harsh, but on this calm late summer’s day the sound echoing through the rocky mountains was imposing and sonorous, like the roaring of a lion in a cage” (93).

“‘They’re waiting for the blood to congeal,’ he replied. ‘It’s a remedy against cowardice. To gain courage, you must swallow it when it's still lukewarm and frothy’” (94).

This situation a metaphor for how the communist system is abused. Preventing cowardice is not what we think it means. It’s not about being brave and doing what’s right in this situation. Drinking blood is a dirty thing, but Four-Eyes does it anyways in order to keep control and appear brave to the people. He’s using the buffalo as an example, in the way Mao uses intellectuals as an example for other people to not go against him.


The buffalo is used to represent China during the reign of Mao. When Four-Eyes had been working in a paddy field, the buffalo that he had used swung his tail and knocked Four-Eyes’s glasses off of his face, which enrages him. Later, when Four-Eyes gets a job in the city and is going to leave the re-education program, his mother has the village slaughter a buffalo. The buffalo chosen is the one that had hit Four-Eyes. Here, Four-Eyes represents the Chinese government during the Cultural Revolution, while the buffalo represents the oppressed citizens of China. First, killing animals in such a manner is illegal, yet it is done anyway on Four-Eyes’ behalf, as he is somehow the exception to the rule. This is exactly what Mao did: he created rules for the people of China but didn’t follow them himself. He killed the spirit and freedom of past culture, essentially killing the people. Further, the buffalo is chosen because Four-Eyes felt attacked by it. In killing the buffalo, they make it look like an accident, which causes the buffalo to feel immense suffering. After the buffalo has died, Four-Eyes drinks its blood as a way of proving his courage. This is symbolic of Mao defeating his enemies cruelly and using them as a pedestal to raise his image in front of the people—a method of maintaining power and control; however, the narrator also describes the buffalo’s screams as similar to a lion, implying that it is the people who are courageous, not Mao.