Akoa Kwaku Appiah is a Ghanaian who has been living in the United Kingdom for the past two decades. He currently resides in Dabi, just outside London.
Reflecting on his journey, Kwaku shared that while growing up in Ghana, his parents were already abroad. This inspired him to also migrate, and eventually, his parents facilitated the move. However, he now advises the younger generation not to assume that traveling abroad is the only way to succeed. “It’s not true. You can make it anywhere. Success doesn’t depend on traveling,” he emphasized.
According to him, times have changed. In the past, traveling abroad made people highly respected, but today many no longer care. Instead, people question why someone who has lived abroad would want to return home. “No one boards a plane to travel and comes back broke, yet many continue to make this mistake out of ignorance,” he said.
When he first arrived in the UK, Kwaku started off working as a security guard before moving into company jobs. After the COVID-19 pandemic, his business plans were disrupted, but he continued developing himself.
Before leaving Ghana, he had already acquired a plot of land. Looking back, he believes if he had stayed in Ghana, with the knowledge and skills he has gained now, he would have done much better. “I have a house in Ghana, but I don’t live in it. At times I sacrifice and stay there for two years, but I once placed someone in my house and he stole everything, even the ceiling fans,” he revealed.
He added that many wealthy Ghanaians send their children abroad, only for them to struggle and suffer. He stressed that the so-called “borga life” often comes with regrets. Instead of spending over GHC100,000 to travel abroad, he believes young people should invest that money into businesses in Ghana. “If you need GHC150,000 to travel abroad in search of capital, then you don’t really understand business. You don’t need to travel to succeed,” he explained.
Sharing his own business experience, Kwaku said he once opened Shepherd Drinking Water in Ghana. Although the business did well, it collapsed because he couldn’t be there full-time to supervise it. He also tried catfish farming, but without proper supervision, he faced losses. “If you move from abroad to Ghana to start a business, you must dedicate at least six months to fully understand the system before expecting results,” he advised.
Today, while balancing life abroad with family responsibilities, he admits that if he had stayed in Ghana with the knowledge he has now, he would have built more properties and achieved greater success.
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