Project success depends on a network of contacts; the most important aspect of this is gaining acceptance and trust from the sex workers. By identifying the individuals who enjoy wide acceptance in the heterogeneous sex work milieu, the field workers of the project can reach the sex workers and distinguish between different groups of sex workers, such as the so-called free women and women who live with multiple relationships. For example, the PPP project (Programme de Prévention et de Prise en charge des MST/SIDA chez les Femmes Libres et leurs Partenaires), active in several cities in Côte d'Ivoire, developed a special approach based on involving and establishing good links with ethnic communities in an early stage; through these communities the project was able to reach sex workers from different ethnic backgrounds and participate in their social events, which offered various possibilities for prevention activities.

Peer involvement is a key strategy for successful project development. In eight of the ten projects that were part of the study, sex workers participated in the initial assessment of the project and in peer education and peer counselling. Peers are often highly motivated to support the projects, and they can open doors to groups of sex workers the professional staff has difficulty reaching. The NGO FAMME (Force en Action pour le Mieux Etre de la Mère et de l'Enfant) in Togo started to work with health professionals and social workers, but it proved very difficult to reach the sex workers. Since they adopted a peer approach, the project has developed a good reputation and the confidence of the sex workers and was able to expand its activities.

The project can become a place of support and solidarity. Programmes in Mali, Togo and Côte d'Ivoire working in a permanent setting, show that projects become more accessible to the participants and strengthen the relationships between the team and the communities they serve. In Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire, the project was even considered a "second family". Permanency allows projects to provide concrete support in problem situations, such as sexual violence, police raids and disease. For example, the Danaya So project in Mali provided legal assistance, and the Awa Association in Senegal set up a fund for special needs.

All the projects made some kind of adapted service package that contributed to the personal development of the female sex workers. For instance, in Mali the Danaya So project offers women courses on trading and business skills, and set up a credit fund managed by the women themselves.

Despite the serious HIV/AIDS situation among female sex workers in West Africa, participatory approaches provide a basis for hopeful perspectives for the future.

Petra Wihofszky,Consultant UNAIDS Intercountry Office Abidjan and GTZ Regional AIDS Programme for West and Central Africa; Wissmannstrasse 43, 12 049 Berlin; Tel: +49-30-6272.3078;Email: PWihofszky@aol.com