Koki was part of family of ten and they lived in the township of Makeng. She grew up with her aunts and uncles and she had one sibling named Dineo. Dineo was eight years old and her mother left her at the age of four.

Everyone was living at the family house and each was living her or his own life. Koki and Dineo lived to take care of each other. Koki had to go to school and Dineo would stay at home with whoever was there. It was so difficult for Koki because she has to fend for her younger sister and make sure she got food.

One evening she was sitting outside her house and saw her two aunts coming into the house. They were preparing themselves to go clubbing near their block. They weren’t that pretty but they knew how to make themselves look beautiful. After thirty minutes they were out and smelling of nice.

Koki stared at them. They did this often so she wasn’t shocked. She followed them without them noticing. They waited outside the club for their friends. When the friends came they went around the building of the club and changed their clothes.

They changed into mini short, miniskirts and crop tops, before they came around again and entered the club. Koki was still sitting in the dark waiting in shock. Is this the first time or does this happen every time? She wondered.

She followed them and entered alone. Because didn’t look her age she was able to get in. She sat alone, looking at other girls and boys. She realised that was how her aunts always had money. They were not working and she would sometimes hear them talking about making some cash during the weekend.

She sat there looking and longing for that money. She wished the money could be hers so that she would at least make her younger sister happy.

She got tired and left the club.

The next morning her aunts came home and went straight to bed. She and Dineo were bathing to go to church. They were always getting help from their church; they got food and sometimes donated clothes and some soap.

After church they waited until lunch was served and Mam’Leti dished extra dishes for them to take home.

Koki went back to school on Monday. She attended a school around their township. Dineo would be alone until Koki arrived after school. Koki did not have many friends and she only saw them at school or church.

On Friday Koki was happier; she was going to be home with her sister for the weekend. She did not even have a boyfriend; she had never been kissed or given some presents. After she did her chores, she sat outside watching and greeting passers-by. Later her aunts came out again and sent Dineo to sleep. Once she saw that they were gone and Dineo was asleep, Koki took her other aunts’ clothes and make-up and put them on. She looked more beautiful than her aunts.

She went to the club. When she got there she was a little bit shy. A man noticed her and bought her a drink and left her there. Other men started to notice her and the crowds started to overcrowd her. She was now joined by man after man. They bought her drinks and she started getting drunk.

She got up now and tried to dance. She finally started striping and was surrounded by all kinds of men. They pasted money around her waists and some in her breasts. She realised that she could be caught by her aunts so she stepped down and other girls continued. She packed the money and left immediately.

Saturday morning she got up early in the morning and started to count money. She had made R850. She was so shocked. She woke Dineo up and told her to bath. They went out that day and bought things.

Her new life started becoming an ordinary life. Koki had changed and she no longer went to church. Even her aunts knew that she “worked” at the club. The situation got worse when she started dating older men for cash and changing them like underwear. Koki became the talk and queen of the club.

Dineo was taken care of and started going to school. Koki got infected with HIV. She wasn’t taking care of herself and her sickness got worse. She left school, church and now she is a burden for Dineo to carry.

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Tell us what you think: Do you know of girls like Koki who lose their way because they need money?