CHIEF EXECUTIVE, OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL UK, EDWARD FOX
We all know the old adage that “sex sells”, but it’s not something that comes across a charity chief executive’s desk very often. I don’t have to deal with complaints very frequently, either. But here’s one passed on to me from one of our thriving satellite branches in a busy marketplace in southern Malawi.
Most in the area depend on agriculture. That means one harvest in a 12-month season, so many small farmers come to the market to sell their crop and receive the bulk of their annual income in one go. With wives left at home holding the fort and a lump sum of perhaps the equivalent of £500 in the pocket, temptations are many.
The opportunity to place the money in a savings account, and a little education to encourage the whole family to go to market and bank together, has resulted in a dip in demand for local prostitutes. Their discontent is duly noted.