Adu Poku’s farming business in Ghana was decimated by cheap tomatoes imported from Italy. So he decided to take a chance and travel to find better opportunities. He headed for Italy to farm the same tomatoes that had forced him out of work – but a gruelling journey, poverty, sickness and extreme violence awaited him. Adu is one of six migrant workers who told us about their experiences of migration for this series. An explanation of how we produced this interview can be found at the end.
Raphel Ahenu (for BTS): I understand you recently returned from Libya. What were you doing before you travelled there?
Adu Poku: My name is Adu Poku. I am 45 years old and a father of four. I was born in Gyedu, a village in Ghana, where I’ve lived all my life. My family’s financial situation became unbearable when our twins were born, so I decided to try my luck overseas.
