Adwoa Aboah: Instagram can be a devil

The model has been overwhelmed by the number of young people turning to her site Gurls Talk for advice
Helping hand: Gurls Talk founder Adwoa Aboah
Dave Benett
Alistair Foster17 October 2018
The Weekender

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Adwoa Aboah wants to take her website, which aims to create a “safe space” for girls to discuss topics such as mental health, into London schools.

The model, 26, says she has been overwhelmed by the number of young people who have turned to her site Gurls Talk for advice since it launched in 2015.

Aboah who relaunched the site this week, has spoken candidly about her struggles with depression and substance abuse.

“Especially in London, we are hearing very re-occurring issues — young women dealing with mental health, sexuality, pressures in school and pressures after school, and what to do with one’s life and the confusion you can face,” she told the Standard.

Girl power: Megan Barton Hanson, Mofe Sey, Adwoa Aboah and Clara Amfo attend Adwoa Aboah's Gurls Talk website launch
Dave Benett

“There’s still a lot of work to be done within the school system — we want to take these conversations into the academic curriculums. We want to be in schools. We do our social events, but schools is where we really want to get our message.”

Aboah, who was born in London, said she uses social media carefully, describing Instagram as both “a devil and an angel”. She added: “It’s given lots of people all over the world the chance to come together and talk about a variety of things, and it’s given me a platform.

Revlon x Adwoa Aboah

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“Then there is that part of my job where I have to post glamorous photos. Am I adding to the message of how people think about themselves, and beauty, and the lack of confidence in young girls? I definitely believe it is highly detrimental when it is just glamour photos. It can give a rose-tinted view of life … I know that if I’m in a vulnerable place and I trail through Instagram, I can get myself in a horrible head-space.”

Aboah, who is taking acting and dialect classes, has become an ambassador for Save The Children and visited Uganda to see the charity’s work there with women and children.

She is due to host fundraising event Big Up Uganda tomorrow night.

Items up for auction at the event include a customised pair of Christian Louboutin shoes and a makeover by Charlotte Tilbury.

Visit bigupuganda.com to bid on items

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