SINGAPORE: A woman who used to work in the red-light district in Geylang said that her life changed after she took up a private degree.
The woman told her story but asked that her identity remain a secret. She said: “I used to work as a prostitute along Geylang, my family was poor and I wanted to make quick money. It was not the easiest of jobs because there were many risks involved”. She explained that there were clients who refused to pay and there was also the chance of getting caught during police raids.
“Life hasn’t been very easy with the whole pandemic, business has been slow and I could make more money working in a proper job. With the money that I earned and saved up over the years, I enrolled into *school name withheld* and am currently studying a private business degree. My life is so much better and I don’t need to be at the mercy of men touching and groping me”, she told the website singaporecensored.com.
Since getting a degree, the woman said that her life appears to be much more peaceful, with her focus being solely on her studies. She added that she also spends her free time studying and working part-time jobs to earn extra money. Neither her family nor anyone she works with knows of her history of being a prostitute.
The woman wrote that the pandemic was a blessing in disguise for her, and she said she was glad she didn’t have to sleep with strangers anymore. She also urged others in similar situations to “be brave and take a leap of faith, stop degrading yourselves and do something worthwhile with your lives”.
Her story first appeared here.