His is a unique calling that takes him where many people won’t go and brings him into close contact with those the society shuns.

Fredrick Otieno Onoka is a Kenyan missionary based in Rwanda, who works with prostitutes and their children.

Driven by a passion for ministry, fighting against injustices facing women and heeding a call from God, Onoka and his wife Triza settled in Rwanda four and a half years ago, determined to help women involved in prostitution transform their lives.

Onoka works with Youth With a Mission, (YWAM Rwanda) and has managed to reach out to many of these women.

“When I first visited Rwanda in 2005, I went to a popular night club in Kigali wanting to know what happens there, while hoping to reach out to some of the women. While there, I met a lady called Fenny and I decided to pose as a regular client,” said Fred.

“I bought her a drink and she told me about her life. She was 22 years old and had a five-year-old son. She only reached primary school and could not get a decent job.”

Over time, Onoka and his wife built a close relationship with Fenny. Today, she is part of a group of 60 women living in Busanza cell, Kanombe Sector, 95 per cent of whom were former commercial sex workers. They are now off the streets and living a decent life.

Mukaruriza Valentine Kabibi is a genocide survivor who lost her husband and two children. She started drinking and taking drugs to forget the traumatic events.

Her life took a turn for the worse when a man she had been with for eight years infected her with Aids.

Kabibi’s husband abandoned her, taking with him all their possessions. This drove her back to heavy drinking and into commercial sex work to make ends meet.

“I would warn my clients and force them to use protection because I did not want to infect anyone,” she said.

The disease took a toll on Kabibi and her health quickly deteriorated. Her weight dropped to 45kg and many of her friends deserted her. Having lost all hope, she attempted suicide three times.

Onoka and a number of his friends found Kabibi and started building a friendship with her. Today Kabibi, who is part of the 60 transformed women, teaches basket weaving.

Onoka works with partners who equip the women with different skills like tailoring, weaving and entrepreneurship.

He also looks after children born by prostitutes.

“We currently take care of 65 children whose education is sponsored by well wishers. We also run a feeding programme,” said Onoka.

Though faced with many challenges the biggest of which is lack of funds, Onoka’s unrelenting willingness to reach out to these women has helped restore their dignity and also saved a generation of children who would have been caught up in the same cycle.