I understand that you are in a very difficult situation. However, having sex for money will only lead to more problems - like getting pregnant, becoming HIV positive, being raped and beaten. It is just not worth it.

The government has said that "no child shall go without an education for reasons of poverty" but unfortunately the reality is that there are many young people who can't pay school fees. What you CAN do is think of all the other ways to solve the problem - either to earn money, or to find a person or organisation to sponsor you and help to support your brothers and sisters. Try to find someone in your school or community who can give you advice on this.

And if all these efforts fail, don't lose hope and don't give up. There are many people who finish their schooling when they are older. So even if you can't go to school now, it doesn't mean you can never go to school.

There are many other ways to learn things apart from going to school. Get whatever skills you can, whether you're paid or not. Find out what organisations are doing projects in your area, and ask if you can help in any way. If there are any books around, read them.

Don't mess up your life by having sex for money. Having sex where the person doesn't care about you will always end up badly.

Auntie Stella