Maxwell Gift, a Ghanaian based in Hamburg, Germany, recently shared his inspiring life journey in an interview with DJ Nyaami on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide.
According to Maxwell, his story began long before he finally settled in Europe. “We left Ghana completely in 2004,” he said. “In the 1990s, we used to travel to Spain for campaign meetings. Between 1997 and 1998, we had the opportunity to participate in an HIV campaign project, which took me to countries like South Korea, Cuba, and Mexico. Sometimes we had visas but couldn’t afford the plane tickets.”
He explained that in 2004, while in his 20s, he left Ghana for the Philippines with plans to transit to South Korea. However, due to ticket issues, he ended up staying in the Philippines for three months before moving to Thailand and China. “I was supposed to continue to South Korea, but the organizers mistakenly bought me a ticket to Singapore. I was stopped at the airport because I didn’t have enough money or hotel reservations, so they deported me back to the Philippines,” he recalled.
Stranded at the airport, Maxwell said he slept there for weeks until some kind people helped him buy another ticket transiting through Hong Kong. “I wore a missionary card to get help and finally managed to stay in a small hotel. I paid $15 and lived there for three months before getting a ticket back to Ghana through contributions from the church I joined,” he narrated.
After spending some time in Thailand teaching, Maxwell eventually returned to Ghana in 2022, hoping to settle and invest, but things didn’t work out as planned. Having lived in the U.S. for many years, he said he grew tired of the environment and safety concerns and finally decided to move to Europe, where he now lives in Germany.
“Canada is one of the best countries, but success abroad depends on your mindset,” he emphasized. “Life abroad has helped me a lot, but if I had stayed in Ghana, I could have also made progress. I import goods from China to Ghana, and my boss runs a large factory that produces many items.”
Maxwell advised that Germany offers many job opportunities, but warned that without proper planning, people could end up with nothing. He also encouraged fellow Africans to keep their legal documents (nkrataa) private and to focus on their well-being. “In Australia, I saw how leftover meat and food were thrown away. You could even get them for free. People must eat well and exercise regularly to avoid health problems,” he advised.
Maxwell concluded by sharing that all his children are now in Ghana for school. “I never had the chance to study abroad, so I want my children to learn in Ghana and stay connected to their roots. We’ve laid a good foundation and built a home there,” he said proudly
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