Ms Deborah Asamoah, a project coordinator of the Defence for Children Ghana, a Kumasi-based child rights group, has warned parents and guardians against hiding behind poverty to support or supervise the exploitation of their children.

She said the situation where some parents condoned and connived with people to exploit and abuse their children, in exchange for monetary and other incentives should not be allowed to continue.

Speaking at a ceremony to present sewing machines to victims of child abuse and exploitation in Kumasi, Ms Asamoah advised victims to be bold and report such incidents to the police.

Ten young girls from Morshie Zongo and Kontompo, all Kumasi, who were rescued from abuse and exploitation, received 10 sewing machines from the Defence for Children International (DCI), the parent organization of Defence for Children Ghana.

They were presented under the “Reducing violence against children and sexual exploitation project,” being implemented by the Defence for Children-Ghana.

Twenty-one communities in the Kumasi Metropolis are beneficiaries of the project.

Among them are Atonsu, Aboabo, Dichemso, Oforikrom, Ahinsan, Asokore Mampong and others.

Already 40 victims who were rescued by the organization, have received their machines and are under-going apprenticeship.

Mr Martin Owusu- Sekyere, a Field Officer of the NGO, asked Ghanaians to be bold and report all forms of abuse and exploitation to the police.

He said child labour, sexual exploitation, child trafficking and early marriages, threatened the future of the victims.

He, therefore, urged the public to help curb the menace which had become very rampant in the society.