African Enterprise, an interdenominational non-racial international mission whose main objective is to evangelise the cities of Africa through word and deed in partnership with the church is to recruit 50 commercial sex workers in Accra for training in employable skills to enable them earn decent living.

The training scheduled to begin in January next year is aimed at providing the prostitutes with gainful employment, by rehabilitating them and ensuring that they accept the value and dignity of man as the true image of God.

After they have been trained in vocations of their choices, they would be provided with equipment and some financial assistance to enable them to start a business of their own to make life meaningful and fruitful for them.

The project, underscores the belief held by some social analysts that the best way to discourage or curb commercial sex work is not just to ban or make it illegal, but rather to attempt to recruit the workers, and let them know that one shares in their plight. Current statistics on the HVI/AIDS has indicated that the rate of infection among those in the prostitution trade was becoming increasingly alarming and frightening day after day and if nothing was done to curb it, the situation would be more disastrous.

It is, therefore, expedient for everyone to accept the fact that the HVI/AIDS awful picture we see today requires more strategic and pragmatic solution than is being done presently. In spite of the high rate of the awareness created so far, peoples' attitudes and behaviour are either unyielding or still adamant in the face of the disease's frightening and dangerous nature.

As part of its numerous efforts to help fight the disease since it was detected in Ghana seven years ago, the African Enterprise has now resorted to this new approach of recruiting commercial sex workers with the main aim of redefining life for them by making them to understand that they could change if they wanted.

The Reverend Dr. Nii Amoo Darku, the International Team Leader in Ghana, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said Prostitutes who would willingly abandon the trade, to live moral lives, and undergo training in vocations of their choices would be given funds and equipment to start life.

He said the time has come for people to be encouraged to let their awareness of the HIV/AIDS pandemic reflect in their attitudes and behaviours, hence the need to look for alternatives for people who are promiscuous.

When recruited, the prostitutes would be expected to undergo medical examination and counselling before accommodating them at one place for the exercise. Feeding would also be provided free.

Consequently, Rev. Dr Darku appealed to interested commercial sex workers to visit the mission's office at Avenor, near Caprice in Accra for assistance.

Sixteen commercial sex workers, he announced, were recruited and trained in vocations such as dressmaking, hairdressing, tie and dye and batik making, among other things a fortnight ago in Kumasi by the Enterprise, and they have been graduated and are living decent lifestyles once again.

Commenting on their current positions and whether they are supervised, Rev Darku said, "while some have become counsellors and crusaders working hard to persuade other prostitutes from practising the trade, others have also seen the need to devote the rest of their entire life to God.

"Yes we do have a team of monitors in place. Besides you will not believe this: when I got to the graduation ceremony, an old classmate of mine who had also come for the occasion told me one of the girls (Rehabilitated Prostitutes) was going to be his wife."

He noted that many who noticed these developments gave praise to God, praying that small as the beginnings have been, one could envisage a significant drop in the level of prostitution in Ghana. "Most of these prostitutes you see on our streets hate what they do, some even wish they could stop but because they don't have what to eat they remain in the trade," Rev. Dr Darku explained.

According to him, Ghanaians must change their negative perception about prostitutes and instead initiate concrete measures aimed at rehabilitating and integrating them into the society.

The first phase of the AE's programmes in Kumasi saw the rehabilitated persons provided with 1.7 million cedis each and requisite equipment to enable them to start work as early possible.

He also requested philanthropists, religious bodies, Non-Governmental Organisations and financial institutions to collaborate with the African Enterprise in rehabilitating the prostitutes.

Rev. Dr Darku said so far, the mission had assisted 200 street children to acquire employable skills.

Currently, more than 100 poor and needy children were undergoing training in tailoring, dressmaking, hairdressing, carpentry, and masonry and catering in Tema and Ho.