They pay Sh 2, for the room and keep the rest of the money. They are malaya prostitutes , do you know what a malaya is? People are seen crowding around food stalls and wooden tables where marine species like octopus and prawns are the most sought after delicacies. The unpleasant noise of Buguruni area is a sight to behold, where small businessmen are still making a killing even after sunset. It is at this place where you will enjoy a plate of rice and beans at just Sh 1, and walk home with a polythene bag full of potatoes and tomatoes at Sh 1, Life is so easy in this busy suburb that some residents of Dar es Salaam see no point in going to Kariakoo while they can shop and carry in Buguruni.
As the night progresses more customers- all male-sit in red and white plastic chairs at a nearby bar, sipping beer while waiting for the night to pick up. She is extremely young appearing no more than 16 years old.
She and the other girls laugh while chasing each other around the outdoor bar. This image of childhood innocence is corrupted and made almost surreal by the reality of their lives; by the fact that they are on the job, selling their bodies at a brothel in kwa Kimboka, Buguruni.
The girls begin to work, using the wooden poles as impromptu dancing poles. One girl quietly leads a man to a table, some sort of transaction happens between the two of them and another man sitting next to the table. They soon disappear into one of the rooms surrounding the compound. The table also has several red condom packets scattered on it. Those cost about Sh each. Rosa hates her job and wants out soon. Like the girls who work here, she came to Dar es Salaam in search of opportunity.
She arrived in the city from Tanga a few months ago and managed to get a job as the manager of the pub which is actually a brothel soon after. Many of the girls work all night everyday of the week and sleep during the day. They live in the Buguruni area and rent small rooms which many of them share. One of these girls is 18 year-old Kulthum who lives in Buguruni kwa Mnyamani. Kulthum has been working as a prostitute for several years now and sees the act of selling her body as being a job like any other.
