Charles, a trained Ghanaian teacher, is currently stranded in Manila, Philippines after being duped by a travel agent who promised him a route to Singapore and eventually to Australia or New Zealand. He left Ghana in August last year with hopes of finding teaching opportunities abroad.
The agent, Kennedy Osei Bonus—allegedly introduced by a former classmate who knew him as a lecturer in Accra—charged him GHS15,000 and promised a smooth path to Singapore. Charles later found out that Ghanaian passport holders do not need a visa to enter Singapore, something he hadn’t verified at the time. Once they arrived, the cost of living was too high, and due to visa rules, they were advised to exit Singapore every 15 days.
Instead of returning to Ghana, the agent convinced them to travel to the Philippines, claiming it would be better. Unfortunately, conditions there turned out to be worse. Charles entered on a tourist visa, which he has had to extend monthly for the past eight months, all while struggling financially and without work.
During this time, his ex-girlfriend Belinda, who lives in the U.S., sent him $700 to buy a ticket back to Ghana. However, another Ghanaian man he shared a room with claimed he could help him get an Australian visa. Charles handed over the money and documents, only to be scammed again. The embassy later informed him that all the paperwork for Norway and other European countries was fake, leading to a block on his Schengen access.
Now, Charles is homeless, sometimes sleeping outside shops in Manila. He occasionally finds shelter in a hostel, but even that is no longer affordable. He says the cost to modify his return ticket through Ethiopian Airlines is GHS4,000, which he cannot pay on his own. His original ticket, costing GHS15,600, was open for a year.
Charles shared his story with SVTV Africa’s DJ Nyaami, hoping for help to return to Ghana. He regrets not taking up a teaching posting in Ghana after training college. Before traveling, he worked at Nana Obiri Boahen’s law office in Ghana, but the dream of migrating to Europe took over. That decision has now left him stuck in a foreign land with nothing.
While some of the boys he traveled with now do minor jobs like bicycle repairs, Charles survives by constantly borrowing money. He adds that the agent and his girlfriend, who brought them to the Philippines, have since returned to Ghana after realizing how difficult life there is.
Currently, his mother and sick grandmother are supporting him as much as they can from Ghana. But his situation keeps getting worse. He fears returning to Sunyani, his hometown, because of the shame and trauma of coming back empty-handed. He now hopes to settle in either Accra or Kumasi if he manages to return safely.
Watch The Video Below:
About The Author
