Becoming a financial expert after life on the streets

Peter Komolafe was born in the UK to Nigerian parents who had come to study, work and send money back home to their family. As a baby, they placed him in private foster care – an arrangement widely practised at the time, sometimes known as 'farming'. Peter was taken in by a white couple who lived in the seaside town of Hastings. Although Peter had a happy home life, school was tough, as he faced racism and bullying. He still saw his birth parents every summer in London and when they eventually moved back to Nigeria, they sent for him. What Peter believed was a two-week holiday at the age of eight became a decade-long stay.

But adapting to a new culture and completely unfamiliar surroundings was challenging for Peter. At 18, his parents decided his future might be better in the UK and bought him a plane ticket back. With only a small amount of cash and the address of his former foster family, Peter returned and faced an uncertain future. And things were tough. Knowing nothing about money and experiencing homelessness, Peter would later excel with a job in finance, advising others and appearing on national television.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Emily Naylor

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Film archive: The Pursuit of Happyness / Columbia pictures / Gabriele Muccino

(Photo: Peter on the set of British daytime television programme Steph's Packed Lunch. Peter is smiling at the camera and is wearing a smart jumper with a shirt underneath. He looks relaxed and content. Courtesy of Peter Komolafe.)