One day one of the men who used to sleep with me, pitied me and said to me ‘you are a small girl, you shouldn’t be doing this. I will arrange a way for you to escape’. We then set a day that we would meet. On that day the lady went out as she usually did and I took the key, unlocked the door, and ran. I went to meet the man, he showed me a police station and he told me to go and report myself to the police. I was afraid to go to the police, so I just continued walking on the street and I begged a woman on the street for money. She asked me why I was begging and I told her my story. She took me to a house. She found some information online about a charity called AFRUCA. AFRUCA then contacted the police in regards to my story, they also helped me get a solicitor who helped me with immigration and the Home Office. The Home Office asked me lots of questions and while I was waiting for a decision, they put me up in housing. Now, I’m still working with AFRUCA, trying to get on my two feet.
Narrative courtesy of AFRUCA (Africans Unite against Child Abuse). AFRUCA is registered charity that advocates for the rights and welfare of African children in the UK. It has developed out of African communities in the UK as a response to their realisation of the problems that African parents and their children face, along with the gaps that exist within the protection system for African children in the country.
