21 of my friends have died through prostitution - Sex worker reveals

38-year-old sex worker, Ama Serwaa, has disclosed that out of 24 friends who travelled to Accra to work, only three are still alive. In a chat on Ghetto Life Story on SVTV Africa, Ama Serwaa mentioned that she came to the capital 22 years ago as a 16-year-old but only engaged in sex work two years ago. She revealed that 23 other females who came from her hometown to work in Accra are now deceased. Speaking on the dangers of working as a prostitute, Ama Serwaa disclosed that life in the ghetto itself is a risk. “Some offer Ghs500 to Ghs1000 and you would go because you need the money but it may be dirty money. I won’t go because 21 of us have died. "Twenty-four of us came to work here and only three of us are left. Some were prostitutes; they had infections and died. Some were thieves, and others smoked and died from hunger,” she said. The 38-year-old mother of one added that she left her uncle’s house due to mistreatment and has been on the streets for the past 17 years. According to Serwaa, she was knocked down by a car while selling in traffic for a few years. “I sold pure water and worked as a bus conductor until I started sex work two years ago. My boss sacked me. I was jobless for three years until a friend introduced me to it, but I want to stop because it’s not helping,” she told DJ Nyaami. Ama advised the youth to be cautious of friends because they can be their downfall or their salvation. Watch the full interview below; You can also watch this episode of People & Places: