Oscar was only eight when it first happened to him.

He was the baby of the family, and would usually tag along with whatever his 12 year old sister, Zara, was up to. She would often go to the beach to dance champeta, an erotic dance, for the tourists, hoping to make a bit of money to take home to their mother. Sometimes Zara would go to a hotel room with men they met, and he would crouch under the bed and cover his ears to block out the noise.

Then one day a man asked if he could touch Oscar, he said he would pay even more. Zara said no, but Oscar knew that his mother needed the money.

Shockingly, stories like Oscar and Zara's are becoming more common in Colombia. At least 35,000 children are sexually exploited every year.

Many are too afraid or too ashamed to ask for help. They find themselves trapped in an escalating cycle of violence and abuse that they feel powerless to change.

Children of the Andes is working with the Renacer Foundation to support children like Oscar and Zara and, crucially, to help prevent more children from being exploited.

Please make a donation today and help bring an end to this appalling crime