Life in Canada: The Struggles of Opanin Kesse
Opanin Kesse, a Ghanaian based in Canada, has been living there for just a year after seeking asylum. He currently works in a warehouse, but life abroad has not been as easy as he once thought.
In an interview with DJ Nyaami on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide, he explained how demanding the job is compared to what he did back in Ghana.
“The work here is very hard. In Ghana, I didn’t face such tough jobs. We cook tyres while they are hot and remove them, then use pins to join them. When they are cold, it’s almost impossible to remove, so we always do it hot. It’s not easy, but if you are hardworking, you can manage.”
According to him, he underestimated the popular saying “abrokyire yɛ den” (life abroad is tough). He now understands how true it is. Some people even quit the job because of the stress, though he admits that winter makes the workload a bit lighter.
Kesse disclosed that he entered Canada with a visitor’s visa, and through his brother’s friend, he got connected to the warehouse job.
“People here use ‘nkrataa’ (papers) to survive. My aunties are also here and they hustle too. You can make money in Canada, but the bills take almost everything back. For example, I pay $1,000 for just a single room. In our three-bedroom house, each tenant pays $1,000.”
He revealed that he earns around $3,000 monthly, but with overtime, he can make up to $4,000. However, after paying bills, he is left with about $1,800. He hopes to eventually secure proper documents (nkrataa) so he can switch to trucking, which pays better. For now, his warehouse job, which requires him to work 8–10 hours a day, even causes him physical pain at times.
Despite the challenges, Kesse has a plan.
“After five years, I will stop working and return to Ghana to invest in business. Those who have lived here for over 40 years may enjoy it, but I don’t. There’s racism here, and life is very stressful. If you already have a business running in Ghana, don’t rush to travel. They pay you abroad, but bills consume it all.”
In his final words, he emphasized: “There’s no place like home.”
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