My friends in my new neighbourhood are awesome. They're there for me no matter what, and I can turn to them whenever I need anything. However a few years ago I didn't have this group of friends. I lived somewhere else and was hanging with a crew that wasn't so great. When I moved, I was excited for a fresh start but the process of making new friends was a bit daunting. Here’s what I did to find my squad:

Be yourself, there’s only one you
With my old friends I pretended to be someone else so I could fit in. That got me into a lot of trouble because I found it difficult to say NO to things. So this time around I decided to just be myself. I did what I enjoyed and let the real me stand up! My friend Temi, I met her at a girls scouts club and she liked the real me! She’s now on my team and is great support when I need help.

Look out for people who think and act similar to you.
Making friends with people who have the same values, interests and hobbies is a good start. Like my friend Simi, I met her at the hairdressers. A Beyonce song came on and we both started singing and dancing. We ended up walking home together from the salon and she taught me so much. Not just about Beyonce but she also loves volunteering. She introduced me to a programme she runs to help young mums. Together we’ve made a plan to change our community. #girlpower

Be brave, make the first move
One day on my route home there were boys on the corner harassing people as they walked by. I was quite nervous to walk by them until I saw one girl do it. When the boys called her names she stood up for herself. I admired her bravery so I ran after her to ask for advice. Sometimes you just have to be courageous and ask people for advice that you need. Don’t over think it or be scared. Countdown 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 in your head and just walk over say hello and introduce yourself. That’s what I did with Dada and now she’s given me loads of advice on how to defend myself. She’s the kind of friend who will always have my back. Imagine if I never went over? We would not be friends today!

I then introduced Temi, Simi and Dada to each other and BOOM! My super squad was born. Whenever I’m lonely I call them and they always make me feel better about myself. If I’m stuck with a problem, I know they’ll be there to help me out. That’s what best friends do. If you haven’t found your squad yet then don’t worry...remember good friendship take time to grow. Don’t be discouraged - if I can do it so can you!