I was involved in the gang lifestyle, beaten and almost killed but my mom never knew about it – British-Ghanaian lady shares

British Ghanaian lady Francesca Afia recounted on upbringing as an African girl living in London and revealed that she was somewhat involved in gangs and almost lost her life to it. 

In an interview on Daily Hustle Worldwide on SVTV Africa, Afia mentioned that she could not further her education because of the lifestyle she lived growing up. She added that the neighbourhood they lived in caused her to engage in such activities. 

“It is easy to lose your life as a kid in London. The boys are usually forced into joining gangs, especially between 14 to 20. You’ve made it (out of gangs) if you turn 23. People join gangs for protection because their parents are not always home. 

Everyone knew me in Brixton. I liked to fight and at a point snatched phones and all,” she told DJ Nyaami. 

According to Afia, single-parenting also forces kids into gangs. She reiterated the need for them to feel safe in the neighbourhood while their parents were busy working. 

“I was beaten for mingling with a different gang because they were rivals. I couldn’t go to another neighbourhood. They even wanted to kill me but my mom never knew about it because she wasn’t around. I fought for my life and it’s the reason I couldn’t go to the university,” she recounted. 

Kindly watch the full interview below;

Sharon Frimpomaa Opoku

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