The sun sets behind a one of the rooms at the brothel where women both sleep and service clients
Fauda Joseph, 28, lies on a foam mattress at the brothel where she both lives and works in Zanzibar. She is from the Christian mainland of Tanzania, but came here when her 1-year-old son passed away, as her husband began beating her, believing that she was a witch who caused the death of the child.
The sun rises on emptied Konyagi bottles after a busy Saturday night. Konyagi, a 70-proof liquor similar to gin, is considered the national drink of Tanzania with its low cost making it a crowd favorite
Swahili Brothel
On the Zanzibari archipelago in eastern Tanzania, there is an increasing flow of European tourists adding a quick "sun & fun" beach package to their African safari. Unfortunately, as this vacation destination has gained in popularity, so has its sex traffic. Though Zanzibar is majority Muslim, Tanzanian women from the Christian mainland migrate to the semi-autonomous island in hopes of finding a foreigner with expendable capital to help buoy the families they've left behind.
Strata based on the sex workers' language skills, which is generally in line with their economic backgrounds, form. Women from rural villages, versus cities, have little opportunity to learn Italian or English, so are unable to converse with tourists even for the cursory interaction required. This grouping, comprised of women unable to integrate new languages, must adjust their focus to the local African clientele, working under harsher conditions and for less pay. The economic disparity between "client" and "worker" often engenders motivational undertones of power, further exacerbated here by religious morality.
This project focuses on a local brothel on the outskirts of a conservative village, working and sleeping within its few rooms. Due to the traditional nature of the village, the women must wear hijab (head coverings) when leaving the sheltered walls of the brothel so as not to be further ostracized by the locals, though it is these very same men who are their main client base.
Sex workers hang their purses high up on nails to protect from theft & bugs
Marie Elias, stands after meeting with a local client
Entrance to one of the rooms used to entertain men
A woman rests before work begins on Friday the busiest night.
Womens undergarments
Adama Charles, 29, puts on makeup. She came to Zanzibar 3 months ago, hoping to work with tourists, but ended up in a local brothel. She is routinely criticized by shopkeepers in the villages, so now wears a hijab whenever she leaves the premises.
Press-on nails
Women braid their hair before the Saturday night rush. The braids work well under the wigs that are sometimes worn to better attract customers
The women live & work at the bar. During the day they handwash their laundry and hang to dry it the line
Saturday night
On a slow night, the women drag their mattresses outdoors to escape the oppresive heat in the rooms which have no fan. Male patrons play a game of pool undisturbed nearby
Trash is burned nightly