“Before Akuah I was going to school, ummm and during the summer I didn’t really have anything to do. I just went out with my friends sometimes just roaming the streets, staying out late at night without telling my mum where I was going but not doing anything bad or anything.

Akuah helped because it gave me something to do over the summer. It boosted my confidence and made me feel pride in the way I looked. As in.., I thought I was ugly because I looked African, fully Black I didn’t have light skin or long hair like other members of my family.

It taught me about Black History, things I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I learned about my history or culture.

It gave me friends. As a quiet and shy girl at that time making friends was hard and it upset me that I was a bit of a loner. I also learned cooking skills and business skills – like the business skills when we made out bath salts and lip balms to sell was useful and I used it to get into Uni for my personal statement. Akuah gave me the opportunity to do activities I wouldn’t usually do.

Right now, I’m in my last year of Uni. Going to Akuah helped to deal with and overcome many of the problems I later encountered in life.”