5. Sources of Food
The food consumption pattern of the CSWs was not significantly different from a typical poor family elsewhere in Binga, although they still have better access to maize meal than most rural families during the current shortages. They reported eating porridge in the morning (without sugar), sadza with a relish from wild leaves and vegetables as the main meal at lunchtime, and a little more sadza in the evening. Those who drink alcohol may have drinks bought for them in the beer halls in the evening.
Although it was not intended to precisely quantify each source of food, the information provided suggests that the women be getting approximately 1,500kcal per day from the maize meal and vegetables consumed. The "chibuku" (local beer), would provide an additional 350 kcal per litre consumed. The women, therefore, are not getting an adequate diet at present. However, this is probably quite a recent phemonemon, as maize prices have trebled since December 2001 while the women have not been able to raise the rates for sex to match this inflation.
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