Meet the TPOAM Founder - a story of extreme resilience

The Life and times of
Fredi 'Kruga' Nwaka

“My story is one of pain, determination, sorrow but one which defines what it means to never give up.”

Fredi’s story reads almost like one of his film scripts but his real-life experiences have made him the successful man he is today. And, despite his difficult early years and his youth, he strives to pull others up with him, using his unique mix of talents to create opportunities for everyone, in whatever he does.

Early Years & Trauma

My name is Fredi Nwaka. Where do I start?!

Well, I guess the beginning is always the best place. I was fostered from the age of 3 months old to a white family in a place called Deal, Kent. And, for the most part, I was the only black face in the town. In fact, I was the only black face – and it stayed that way for many years.

I was subjected to extreme racism including being tied to trees, called derogatory names and at one point, individuals scratching my skin to see if my colour would come off. And, what I thought would be a safe haven, turned out to be a place where I was subjected to sexual abuse from one of my foster carers.

I left Deal at around ten years of age to rejoin my biological family in London who are of Nigerian descent. A lost, angry, traumatised young black boy with no identity and no safe space. Black people didn’t like me because I displayed characteristics of a ‘typical white boy’ who knew nothing about his own black culture and white people didn’t like me, simply because I was black. My only friends were the insects and animals I would play with during break time at school. Arguments and fights became part of my daily routine.

Finding ‘family & belonging’

I left school seeking attention, and wanting to be loved, seen, acknowledged and I guess it wasn’t long before that came in the form of a gang.

I joined one of South London’s most notorious gangs at the time, ‘The Untouchables ‘ and found myself walking around with guns and knives..

To date I have lost over 45 friends to violent crime and have experienced situations and seen things rivalled only by soldiers on the battlefield.

My teachers said that I would be dead or in prison by the age of 25 and yet here I am inspiring others, opening doors for my peers and trying to motivate those who too have become lost or written off. My life has been a colourful one and I can proudly say the little black boy with no friends went on to be the ONLY UK rapper to have ever been signed to the Wu-Tang Clan, the US hip-hop group.

Paving the way for others

On top of that, I am a self taught award-winning film director and producer with over eleven movies under my belt and two production companies.

My Community Interest Company H.E.A.L (How Emotions Affect Life) works with both young women and men, teaching them how to deal with emotions by using acting and theatre as an angle and technique.

My two award shows The Power Of A Man and The Power Of A Woman honour men and women of colour in the UK and give them the platform to shine and flourish while inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.

My drive to not be defined by my past has led me on a path to win numerous awards both for film and TV and to inspire the many young people I meet who, like me, were written off or who have been told they will never amount to anything. Not all mountains are made from earth and rock and not all pain is physical.

Interested in working with Fredi?

Whatever your thoughts on motivating your team, inspiring the people in your care, or just spreading a positive message, contact Fredi to discuss how he can help you and your teams to develop a positive and motivated mindset.