By Alex Ababio
Due to virtually no political sentiments attached to issues concerning child prostitution as compared to head porting , otherwise known as ‘Kayayie ‘ , there has not been any proper , well-coordinated and comprehensive program by the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection , Kumasi City Authority , and other relevant institutions to rescue over 300 girls who are actively engaging in prostitution in the Kumasi Metropolis .
Ghanaian Watch Investigations gathered that over 300 children with ages ranging from 12 to 19 years are involved in this illegal profession and they operate in areas around Asafo Railway Containers , Paloma Chop Bar at Pampaso, Abinkyi Market, Kejetia Public Toilet , Bantama.
The rest of the areas are Bantama, Suame Markro ,Ash-town , Dichemso and places behind Hello and Boss Fm buildings .
The minors involved in this trade are between the ages of Twelve(12) and Nineteen(19) years , and are believed to have come from Brong East Region, and Northern parts of the country.
Ghanaian Watch findings revealed that a number of them absconded from their matrimonial homes to make a living within the Kumasi Metropolis due to their parents’ negligence and their inability to support them financially.
Others too were pushed by their parents to seek for job opportunities in the Southern part of the country, and unfortunately end up in this illegal profession through peer pressure.
Aside prostitution, some of them mostly boys are also recruited by adults into armed robbery expedition to help the robbers in accessing places they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to access.
The children both boys are taught how to steal and also introduced to alcohol , tramadol, marijuana, cocaine anong other hard drugs to harden them to engage in these illicit acts .
” They are very active in the act during dark and quiet hours and lodge at other areas including outskirts of Kejetia , and in a five storey building located in Kejetia earmarked for demolishing our investigation revealed.
Certain adult pimps lure young girls, aged between 12 and 19
into the illicit act to exploit them for financial gains .
The girls are most of the time seen around night clubs, pups and
drinking spots , dressing seductively in an attempt to solicit sex for money
In an conversation with Ghanaian Watch , one of the girls KuKua 16 years who resides in a slum around Asafo Railway in Kumasi , the second-largest city in Ghana noted that for the past four years, she has worked as a child prostitute.
Kukua told this reporter : I have sex with close to seven men per night: travellers, businessmen, police officers ,and more frequently , tourists.
Speaking to the issue , the Ashanti Regional Deputy Director in Charge of child Rights Promotion and Protection, Madam Love Lucy Adu in an interview with the Ghanaian Watch at her office , admitted to the prevalence of the Juvenile Sex trade , but said her outfit is firmly fighting against it through outreach programmes .
In the early part of last year ,an outreach programme was embarked upon by her outfit where child -prostitutes are more prevalent , especially at Asafo to interact and counsel them on the dangers of prostitution such as HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases .
According to her some of the children who were willing to stop the trade were assisted and reunited with their families.
” During our visit , we met a girl below 18 years who was pregnant and invited her to our office.
When her time was due, she went and delivered at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital but unfortunately, the baby was diagnosed with hydrocephalus (a condition in which fluid accumulates in the brain typically in young children, enlarging the head and sometimes causing brain damage.)
The mother of the child she relates unfortunately absconded to continue with her trade ,but she was tracked and found .
Her family was contacted, but the child died later ” , Madam Love Lucy Adu narrated.
Her outfit she indicated is also working hard towards reducing the rate of children’s involvement in head potting “Kayayie” announcing that most of the children through series of counseling have quit the illicit act and have been sent back to their parents.
Madam Love Lucy Adu advised parents not to allow their children to come down to south to look for jobs no matter how poor they are .
” They should help their children continue their education or should find a trade for them.”, she advised