Nana Yaw Gyamfi, a Ghanaian currently residing in the UK, has lived there for two years. He grew up in Kumasi Tafo and later relocated to Burma Camp after joining the Ghana Armed Forces. Although he initially loved being a soldier, his perspective changed after he enlisted. He began to think seriously about leaving the military and traveling abroad.
In 2015, he traveled to Lebanon with hopes of earning enough money to support plans of relocating to another country. At the time, he was a sergeant in the army. However, he became disillusioned with the working conditions — long hours, unpaid extra duties, and no overtime. He realized that in Europe or America, people are paid hourly, and that made traveling more appealing.
He believes his time in the army instilled discipline in him, but the desire to move abroad kept growing. A connection man eventually helped him secure a Schengen visa. But just before traveling, several warnings came his way. A friend told him he had a dream that Nana Yaw was deported and dismissed from the army. An uncle also called, saying he could sense he was planning to quit and move abroad. His mother’s pastor warned him too. As a result, he decided not to go. The visa eventually expired, and the agent demanded the remaining payment.
In 2017, he went to Sudan and returned to Ghana. He later applied for a U.S. visa twice and was denied both times. He also applied to the UK twice and was also refused. But he didn’t give up.
In 2019, he met the same agent who helped him get a visa successfully. Upon arrival in the UK, he did various jobs, including delivery work where he earned about £80. He later worked at a school for nearly 20 hours and also took up courier jobs, riding a bike through the snow. He used these jobs to build his CV.
Eventually, he resigned from the army and settled fully in the UK. According to him, many Ghanaian soldiers (about 60%) wish to leave the military and travel abroad. At some point, he questioned whether life in Ghana might have been better than life in London.
Later, he spoke with a retired soldier in Northern Ireland, who encouraged him to relocate there due to the lower pressure compared to England. He moved and now feels that Northern Ireland offers a better quality of life, with fewer Ghanaians and a more peaceful environment.
He advises that moving to the UK can be worthwhile if you have a valid work permit. However, if you are selling valuable property to finance your travel, you might end up at a loss. “It all comes down to lifestyle,” he says. “Some people adopt the lifestyle of the country they move to, while others struggle.”
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