Catherine was raised in a loving Christian family of four in Morogoro, Tanzania. She was the only child in the family who had the opportunity to receive higher education at the University of Dar es Salaam. It may be painful to know that Catherine ended up as a sex worker in the dark streets of Dar es Salaam. Here is Catherine’s story…
After finishing her degree there were expectations for Catherine to help the family. Her siblings had not received a formal education beyond secondary school. But the reality of unemployment for many youth proved to be a thorn in Catherine’s flesh. She was unemployed after graduating. Stigmatized by family and friends for having wasted her parents’ meager income on her school fees, life turned into a burden hard to bear for Catherine. After four years at home and jobless, a good Samaritan offered to pay for her to get her MBA at the University of Dar es Salaam. Uncertainties and fears regarding the future gripped her mind but she was optimistic.
Catherine began her studies, and all seemed well. But Satan was also busy with his plans for her life. One day, her professor requested to see her. He demanded sexual favors from her in exchange for good grades, a successful completion of her MBA, and $1000. The offer was irresistible; she had never earned so much before. She accepted the offer.
One day she learned that a fellow student, who lived a luxuriant life with an apartment of her own, worked at night as a prostitute. Catherine befriended her and before long was enticed to join the dark streets of Dar es Salaam. She was a student by day and a prostitute by night. Money began flowing in. Life changed almost instantly.
Months passed. Her studies were going well. Life was good as money and clients kept pouring in. Her main areas were the business centers of the city. One night, at the Las Vegas Casino in downtown Dar es Salaam, God sent His messenger to rescue her from the grip of prostitution. Sitting at the counter, drinking bottled water, evangelist Peter Daudi was on a mission to rescue the perishing. Catherine saw him seated alone. She was on the hunt for a client, not knowing that God and the evangelist had counterplans for her for God’s kingdom. After having a simple conversation, Peter asked if they could meet up another time outside her business hours. Catherine agreed and they exchanged numbers. This was not a common arrangement. Somehow Peter had won her confidence at the very first meeting. Surely Catherine had noticed something different in this man.
…evangelist Peter Daudi was on a mission to rescue the perishing. Catherine saw him seated alone. She was on the hunt for a client…
At the next meeting, as Peter asked her about her life and what her future looked like in that kind of work, tears started flowing. At that moment, she felt lost and empty. She shared her life story with him. She spoke about the challenges at home, being jobless and the hurt she faced. Before long Peter gave her Bible studies and a book called Steps to Christ that Light Bearers had sent to the local conference. Catherine’s interest was apparent but to make the decision was difficult. It was still too early for that. She wanted to follow the new light but was finding it hard to quit the trade. Peter continued to study the Bible with her on a frequent basis. Catherine struggled to reach a decision for Christ. Her background of joblessness terrified her greatly. But the evangelist, knowing this fact so well, counseled and encouraged her with the assurance that God would take care of her. In her work she encountered dangerous clients and it was not her ideal job, but the idea of quitting kept her in a dilemma. She had no idea how to free herself from it. Alcohol was how she dealt with her sorrows. She was miserable and felt trapped, and there was no light in the tunnel of prostitution. Except for Peter.
After much study and serious discussion about life outside the dark streets of Dar es Salaam, Catherine surrendered her life to Christ and accepted Him as her personal Savior. She was baptized and is now a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in her hometown of Morogoro. Later, Catherine got a decent job for the government, and she got married. She now lives with her husband and their two children, a boy and a girl. Her parents and siblings are no longer ashamed of her, and she is respected and loved by all. Catherine was key in leading eight of her sex worker colleagues out of the trade. All are church members scattered around Tanzania. We praise God for His amazing grace.
Meiring Pretorius
Meiring works on the ground where Light Bearers literature is sent and writes regular reports on the progress of the literature work in these areas.
