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Sex worker shows tourists around Prague's dark side

03:51

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Haris Jeelani Toogo | Qadri Inzamam
May 2, 2025

As the homelessness crisis in the Czech Republic continues, some homeless people are working as tour guides. Sex worker Lada has become a successful guide at the age of 55. Thanks to the job, she is no longer without housing.

Prague is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe and one of the continent's most visited cities. 

But there is another side to the Czech capital: Like the rest of the country, Prague faces a homelessness crisis. Recent OECD data shows that more than 100,000 people in the country have no home. 

A small group of homeless people in the capital is determined to change their lives for the better. With the help of the organization Pragulic, they now work as tour guides, bringing tourists to the spots where they once lived and worked. During the tours, they also tell their own stories. 

One of these guides is 55-year-old Lada. She experienced homelessness, battled drug addiction and has worked as a prostitute for many years. Working as a guide is helping her turn her life around. 

Tereza Jureckova, founder and CEO of Pragulic, says the organization's goal is to empower homeless people, help restore their self-esteem and allow them to stand on their own two feet by giving them work. 

DW joined Lada and a group of curious tourists on a very different kind of walking tour of Prague.

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