In an interview with The Manica Post in January soon after
giving birth to the two boys and a girl, Melody Muponda (32) of Hauna Growth
Point in Mutasa said she believed that the triplets had opened an avenue to an
honest and happy life for her.
However, three months down the line, she has reverted to
sex work.
Recounting her story, Muponda revealed that before she fell
pregnant, she offered her services in Manicaland and neighbouring Mozambique.
As fate would have it, a condom burst during a night of
passion with one of her clients and that is how Muponda conceived her triplets.
However, she has no idea who amongst her clients is the
father of the three children.
The infants, now three months old, require a lot of milk
since her breastmilk is inadequate to keep them full.
On the other hand, Muponda owes her landlord four months’
rentals and is struggling to fend for her triplets.
Muponda says her predicament has forced her to go back into
the world’s oldest profession.
However, clients are reportedly shunning her as they view
her as highly fertile.
“At the moment I am not the most preferred sex worker at
Hauna because the clients know that I have three very young babies. They are
afraid that I might end up falling pregnant again, which is why I am appealing
for help once again. Please help me so that I start a vending business and be
able take care of my children,” she said.
Muponda told The Manica Post that she engages a reliable
baby-sitter when she goes out for ‘night duty’.
The baby-sitters charge an average of US$3 per night, an
amount that is beyond Muponda’s reach.
The mother of three believes that some people have let her
down as no one honoured their pledges to help her take care of the triplets.
“Things are difficult for me and my little children as they
are very demanding financially. I had told my landlord that I would get back to
work by March.
“I thought by then the people who had promised to help me
with capital to start a vending business would have walked their talk.
Unfortunately, no one has done that. Now my landlord wants his dues.
“I also asked my fellow sex workers to help me financially,
but that didn’t help either. Instead they advised me to look for a baby-sitter
who can take care of the babies at night so that I get back into sex work.
“While this is not the environment that I want my children
to grow up in, it is better than living in the streets as the landlord is
already threatening to chuck us out. I have to do this dangerous work to feed
them,” she said.
Muponda and her friends stay at a place christened ‘PaGirls
High’.
Her rentals are US$15 per month.
However, I do not take my clients home as I fear for my
children’s safety,” she said.
“When the triplets were still a month old, I thought it
would be easy but it is now becoming increasingly difficult for me. Clothing
and feeding three babies is not a joke.
“Every day I need a whole bar of soap to wash their napkins
and clothes. I also need to be well fed to breastfeed them,” she said, adding
that she has had to eat rotten vegetables and fruits thrown away by vendors.
“The long and short of it is that I desperately need help.
Please help me. I have nothing, and my thinking was to quit prostitution and
start a vending business,” she said.
“So far no man has come up to claim paternity and I do not
think anyone will ever do that.
“I was trying to earn a living and take care of my mother,
but unfortunately the condom burst while l was with a client and I fell
pregnant.
“I just need to know the father of my children so that we
can help each other to take care of them. Unless the man comes forward, I am
afraid I will never know him,” she said.
Muponda is appealing to well-wishers to help her with
decent accommodation and capital to start an income generating project.
She is also appealing for clothes and food for the
children.
Her mother, Mrs Alice Mangofa, said although she wants to
assist her in taking care of the triplets, she cannot do so due to lack of
accommodation.
Those willing to assist Muponda can contact her mother on
0783626755.
Well-wishers can also drop off donations at The Manica Post
Building any day or call this reporter on 0719580643 for drop-off arrangements.
Manica Post
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