“My name is Mohammed, I was born on the 20th of June in the year 2000, in Mangu Fari in Togo from the Tsorkosi Tribe.”
When Mohammed was 6, he lost his mother. When he was 8, his eldest sibling also passed, and no one could take care of him anymore. Because of this, his aunt brought him to Accra, Ghana, in a large community called Nima. Once there, his grandfather took care of him.
“I started primary school in Nima, but I stopped going to school two years later. My grandfather claimed I was not academically intelligent so he would not continue wasting his money to pay my fees. Instead, he and his wife made me carry heavy loads and do all kinds of dirty work while their children went to school.”
He explains how he would see other children his age go to school while he stayed at home to work. It made him angry to not get the same access to things; he missed out on being a kid.
“If I didn’t want to do the work, they would beat me up. They treated me so badly. I felt stuck. This continued for many years.”
When he was 14, Mohammed realized he had to escape this situation; but he also knew he had nowhere else to go.
“I left anyway to find a new life somewhere else. I slept in cafes around the village and got paid to do different types of cyber fraud. I have a friend who sent me money sometimes as well. I did everything I could for survival.”
Mohammed felt as if he could have done more if he was given the opportunity to. He had passions and many dreams for his future. He never wanted to leave school.
“I was a kid that loved football, it brought me happiness. I couldn’t play after I moved. I had also wanted to obtain higher education and become a successful businessman when growing up but all my dreams had to be forgotten. I felt so isolated.”
He knows what it's like to miss out on a childhood, and doesn’t want anybody to feel the same way he did. It is important for him to share his story, to help other kids as much as he can.
“I want to provide a place where kids like me can go when they are not treated right. I don’t want them to feel alone.”
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