Kwadwo Shares His Eye-Opening Experience as a Ghanaian in Canada
Kwadwo, a Ghanaian currently based in Canada, moved there in 2023. He credits Obeng Darko and SVTV Africa for inspiring his decision to relocate. According to him, many people often desire change but lack direction—and even when they have money, they struggle to invest it wisely.
Before moving to Canada, Kwadwo did his national service in a remote village, the only one posted there among his peers. He later volunteered at Some Secondary School before moving to Kumasi. Between 2009 and 2012, he worked contract jobs in the mining sector. By 2015, he officially joined a mining company, where he worked until 2022.
During that period, he applied for a Canadian visa through a friend already living there. This friend, who previously helped him buy two cars. Kwadwo began his visa process in December 2021, but didn’t hear back until 2023. Had the visa come earlier, he says, he likely would have visited and returned to Ghana. But life took a different turn.
In an interview with DJ Nyaami on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide show indicated that in Ghana, he was already investing—drilling boreholes, acquiring land, and starting a small-scale mining business. He also built a house and distributed some land to family members. However, things took a downturn: financial constraints, partnership issues, and mounting frustrations left him stuck. When the visa was finally approved, it brought both relief and confusion.
Kwadwo sold land and took loans, spending over CAD 5,000 on a visa that should have cost about CAD 1,000. Ironically, the friend who helped him charged others similar high fees and hosted him for four months rent-free before he moved out.
Now in Canada, reality has set in. Life isn’t the “heaven” he imagined. He earns modest wages, pays CAD 750 monthly for a basement apartment, and commutes to work by bicycle. Despite this, he’s managed to support his family in Ghana—buying two cars and starting three small businesses.
One woman he helped start a mobile money (MoMo) business with GH¢1,500 has now grown her capital to GH¢30,000. She pays him GH¢50 profit daily into his wife’s MoMo account. These small investments have proven more fruitful than expected.
Kwadwo regrets selling his land and nearly selling his house to finance the move. He’s come to realize that if your life in Ghana is stable, it might be better to stay and build there rather than chase uncertain opportunities abroad. He almost returned home due to poor working conditions—his boss once denied him a sick day despite serious illness. But because of debts in both Ghana and Canada, he had no choice but to keep working.
Now, Kwadwo is focused on recovering his money. He’s secured 10 acres of land to start oil palm and rubber farming. He continues a side hustle in Canada and is trying to repay a CAD 10,000 work permit loan in monthly installments.
He advises young Ghanaians to be realistic about migration. “Don’t sell your properties to travel,” he warns. “It’s not worth it if you have a business back home.” He also mentions that many people he helped come to Canada now insult him when he tells them the truth about life abroad.
“This journey is an eye-opener,” he concludes. “If things don’t work out, I will return. Who will kill me for that?”
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