Uploaded December 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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"When I started living with my cousin, it was complete hell. She would do anything to get high and she even stole money from me. I was scared, desperate, and alone. She never loved or cared for me and I never had any food to eat or any money left to buy food. So I started stealing food whenever I could. I know that stealing was wrong, but I felt like I didn't have a choice but to do it. I was starving and I could barely think straight. I realised I would rather be on my own instead of letting her treat me like dirt. But I didn't want to face foster care and God knows what will happen if I was placed with an even worse family. That night I stayed behind a dumpster, I felt like I was going crazy and could barely sleep because I was constantly on edge.

Living on the streets was tough, I had nothing. No food, clothes, love, protection and support. Nothing but bites all over my hands and arms.When I crashed into a group of girls. They wore makeup, with high heels, and long fingernails. I was shaking so much but they were friendly and tried to calm my nerves.
"Hey, are you okay?" one of them said.
"please someone - he-he tried, please"
"Don't worry, we are going to help you, just come with us."
I wished I never said, "yes" You can blame me all you want but I was desperate for a chance to get off the street.

My mind was thinking no harm could come and no one was going to mistreat or judge me. All I had to was dance, make money, and repeat. I was definitely naive but I didn't know any better, and the girls promised me I would get full protection because the boss is very strict with how we would interact with clients. It was my only option because I needed to get off the streets. So I gritted my teeth and tried to get through several months of dancing until one night, my whole life changed forever. A rich man offered me a private room. This was the first time I tried to refuse a dance. But the boss threatened me and said that if I didn't go ahead with it, he'd fire me. So I started dancing when suddenly I completely blacked out.

I woke up in a hospital, with no recollection of the night before but my body ached as if someone had thrown me across the wall. My doctors were supportive and told me everything was going to be ok, but nothing they said could comfort me. I overheard the doctors saying that they found me unconscious and dumped outside of the hospital. It turns out that the strip club owner told the girls to get rid of me to cover his tracks. I was stunned. I felt like as if someone shot me through the chest, I couldn't believe this happened.

But what was worse was the realisation that I was alone again, with no money and nowhere to go. Everyone had turned their backs on me even though none of this was my fault. I was so afraid of going back to the streets and I really didn't want to leave the hospital. So when my mom's sister reached out, I clung onto her. It turns out that she had been looking for me for years but my mum had hidden my whereabouts from her until the police contacted her. She was the first person in my life to actually want me and welcomed me with open arms but after being alone for so long, I found it really hard to trust her intentions. What if she did things to me like my cousin? Or throw me out like my mum?

She offered me counselling and therapy, at first, I thought it was a trick. But when I meet the counsellor, I felt relief. I opened up and told her everything that had happened, she just listened. I wasn't judged or called names and in the end, she suggested a group therapy where there were other young teenagers who had experienced similar things to me, and for the first time, I felt like I wasn't alone after all. Finally, after getting help, there were no more nightmares and now, I have someone who'd never leave my side. It's still tough some days but I'm finally able to be a kid again and just focus on having a future. One where I plan to become a paediatrician!"


We chose this story because we want to encourage people to speak up if something similar has happened to them and to seek help if they're still in such a situation. We hope this video will encourage people to feel empathy and compassion for those who have gone through such experiences. And we hope that it will encourage us all to do what we can to prevent these things from happening. Even if it does happen we want to encourage people to speak up for their own safety

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