Aid Workers in Nepal Turn to Sex Work for Survival After USAID Funding Cuts Leave Them Jobless
HETAUDA, Nepal — Along a dimly lit highway in central Nepal, Rubi Lama stands amid the cacophony of roaring trucks and drunken voices, nighttime patrons of the sex trade. Once a dedicated aid worker, the 28-year-old transgender woman now faces a grim reality where each stranger who approaches her represents potential danger. Yet, for Lama, the money offered by these clients is crucial for survival.
Lama’s journey from an advocate for sex workers to a sex worker herself stems from an alarming reduction in U.S. foreign aid, specifically cuts enacted under the previous administration. These adjustments adversely affected over 280,000 aid workers globally, pushing individuals like Lama to the brink. For nine years, she was involved in HIV outreach, providing critical support and resources to marginalized communities, especially the LGBTQ+ population, including those who now share the streets with her.
In impoverished Nepal, where societal stigma against openly transgender individuals makes employment opportunities scarce, the cuts in funding brought about devastating repercussions. An estimated 35,000 aid workers lost their positions across the country, and many former colleagues of Lama have been forced into sex work to survive. Amidst rising fears of a new HIV epidemic, health experts caution that the consequences of these funding cuts may have lasting implications for public health, especially among vulnerable populations.
Once a beacon of hope, Lama’s former workplace now stands in stark contrast to its former vibrancy. The NGO Friends Hetauda, which was funded primarily through U.S. assistance, provided essential services such as HIV testing and counseling. The funding termination not only left 262 employees jobless but also cut off nearly 1,200 clients from critical services, including access to preventative medication like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).
Experts emphasize that the consequences of these cuts extend beyond Nepal’s borders. With a high rate of migration and porous borders, increasing HIV rates in Nepal could pose a regional public health threat. Reports indicate that global HIV testing decreased by 22% in areas heavily dependent on foreign aid, with a staggering 90% reduction in funding for condoms.
Adding to the urgency of the situation, many former aid workers turned sex workers report experiencing alarming levels of violence and harassment. Threatened with physical harm and sexual assault, they navigate an environment filled with constant danger while trying to secure income in an unforgiving economy. The once-caring outreach workers have now become victims of the very problems they worked to combat.
Despite encountering trauma and fear on the streets, Lama and her peers continue to confront the precarious choice of lifelines: resorting to sex work for survival, while grappling with mental and physical health risks. Each night spent on that highway is marked by desperation and anxiety, as they long for a way back to the meaningful lives they once led. Without a change in policy direction that reinstates vital funding and services, the road ahead remains uncertain for Lama and thousands of others caught in this cycle of despair.
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