Ghana (MNN) ― A million children get involved in the sex trade every year, and the country of Ghana is no exception to the rule.
Ghana does, however, have a problem that you may not have considered in regard to child prostitution: "Many underage girls--teenagers under 18--are turning to prostitution to make money to pay their school fees."
Lorella Rouster with Every Child Ministries says Ghanaian prostitutes from junior high ages and up often come from homes where one or both parents have died, and where they face extreme financial hardship. Often ECM has found that the young girls are hiding their side jobs from their parents, only working in order to continue attending school.
The numbers of girls involved in the trade are high. "We have seen statistics that show that girls who end up on the street (we minister to many like that) or run away from home usually end up in prostitution within 48 hours of landing on the street," says Rouster.
In response to this severe problem, ECM has been actively reaching out to underage prostitutes in Ghana for the last 10 months. Husband and wife teams are sent out to get to know the girls.
"Our workers usually go and approach the prostitutes on the streets where they're working, or at bars and hotels that are catering to that industry," says Rouster. "The workers go and chat with the girls. They try and find out what's driving them to prostitution, and then they try to win them to Christ."
This program is helping girls find self-esteem, a purpose, and the Truth, but it cannot expand without necessary funding. If you would like to help ECM's efforts to rescue child prostitutes in Christ's name, click here.
Read more of this article at Mission Network News
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