Moonlight Stars
A project by RHU

At the Bwaise branch of “Reproductive Health Uganda” (RHU), we help the sex workers in our area. There are many individuals involved in sex work here, they are a very marginalized and stigmatized at risk community. During the course of our work we have dubbed them “Moonlight Stars”. We would like to invite you to explore this website and learn about their lives and their stories.

Who we are

Reproductive Health Uganda (RHU) Bwaise Clinic is one of the 19 RHU branches in Uganda. The Clinic was established in 2008 with support from the Japanese trust fund to specifically offer sexual reproductive Health services for sex workers and other key population in the slum area of Bwaise in Kampala city. 
Like many other areas of Kampala, sex workers, who we call “Moonlight Stars”, are very common in Bwaise. RHU serves a total of about 2000 persons each year in this slum area. The sex workers in Bwaise are the least empowered population in terms of finance and education. The RHU program in the area offers them a range of services including a package of SRHR (sexual & reproductive health rights) services, capacity building and linkages for income generation. RHU has also supported the Moonlight Stars on education of their children through securing scholarships and scholastic materials and other forms of support.

 

What we do

RHU trained a team of 90 peer educators who are involved in the service delivery through mobilizing their fellow peers, condom distribution and home based care.  RHU also conducts routine outreaches in communities on top of the daily services at the static clinic.  To address issues of stigma RHU has not only done many training activities for sex workers but also for other stakeholders including community leaders and security agencies.

The sex workers are provided with a range of free reproductive Health services including family planning, STI management, HIV counselling and testing and behaviour change communication.  RHU distributes condoms to the sex workers and each year RHU distributes up to 4,000,000 condoms.

 

What we need

The branch currently has no running projects and there are no funds to support outreaches and other services save for the free condoms and static services at the clinic. It is for this reason that RHU is seeking the support of all people of good will to contribute to better SRHR services for the moonlight stars through availing the financial and other resources necessary for Bwaise Clinic to serve the sex workers.

 

Every outreach costs $138 and includes:

 

Medication:  $55

STI medication; treatment of common illness; family planning methods (birth control pills, IUDs, injectable prevention); Postinor

Supplies: $40

Needles & syringes; autoclave; cotton & gauze; sterilization materials; ascetic acid; distilled water; disinfectant; surgical spirit; antiseptic soap; examination gloves & surgical gloves; HIV test kits; Stak Pak; K-Y gel

Fuel: $10

Stipend for volunteers: $22

Stipend for peer educators: $11

 

$2581 will pay for a full quarter of service providing at the clinic. Costs include:

 

Medication: $815

STI medication; treatment of common illness; family planning methods (birth control pills, IUDs, injectable prevention); Postinor

Test Kits & Lab Equipment: $1359

Urinalysis & Gram Stain; high vaginal swab; Malaria testing; Syphilis testing; typhoid testing; blood count; lab reagents; HIV test kits

Supplies for medical services and clinic hygiene: $407

Needles & syringes; autoclave; cotton & gauze; sterilization materials; ascetic acid; distilled water; disinfectant; surgical spirit; antiseptic soap; examination gloves & surgical gloves