Mr. John Adade, a Ghanaian based in California, has lived in the United States since 1991. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Dj Nyaami on Svtv Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide show, he opened up about his humble beginnings in Ghana, his struggles during his early days in America, and how determination helped him build a successful life abroad.
Born and raised in Koforidua, John attended St. John’s Secondary School but always knew formal education wasn’t his strength. “I wasn’t brilliant in school. Business was my thing,” he said. Even before traveling, he was already hustling—doing construction, running a block factory, farming, and selling chickens. At the time, he sold a full-grown chicken for about GH₵1,000, while his brother who worked at the bank earned only GH₵200 monthly.
John’s father rarely had time to pick him up from school, and people constantly questioned why he hadn’t traveled yet. Because of that pressure, he tried several avenues. He joined a Muslim community and was given the name Abdul Razak so he could easily blend in if he ever travelled through Libya. Later, he joined the Latter-Day Saints Church, hoping they could help him travel.
On June 21, 1991, his opportunity came—his father arranged for him to relocate to America. However, he arrived with no work experience, no driving skills, and no plan.
John spent six months in the U.S. without work. “I promised my people back home that when I reach America, I’ll send money immediately. But I didn’t even have a job,” he recalled.
Through the help of church members from the Latter-Day Saints, he finally secured an unskilled job weeding lawns—earning just $5 an hour. He struggled because rain often interrupted the job, so he decided to learn how to drive. Driving school cost $25 per hour, so he begged church members for help. He failed the test three times and passed on the fourth attempt.
One day, while volunteering to clean the church, he was offered a better-paying role—$9 per hour—which became his breakthrough.
Before traveling, John sold his bicycle and his sound system. He used that money to pay an architect to draw the plan for his dream house in Ghana.
“I put the house plan behind my door. It reminded me every day that I was in America for a mission,” he said.
Despite earning little, he worked extremely long hours—sometimes more than 105 hours in a week—and managed to buy materials to start building. In just four years after arriving in America, he completed his house in Ghana.
Before traveling, John had told the wife of a lawyer that he intended to marry her daughter. Unfortunately, he later discovered she was pregnant for someone else—a timber market businessman. When he confronted the family, he said they dismissed him because he was poor.
Years later, when he returned to Ghana successful, the woman admitted she never believed he would become wealthy. That judgment, he said, motivated him to push harder.
Today, John is married with two children and plans to bring his family to the U.S. permanently. He owns a home in an affluent neighborhood in California, purchased for $450,000. The home is now valued at close to $1 million.
He also receives permanent disability payments from a work injury, which he invested wisely into real estate and importing goods from China to Ghana.
John encourages young Ghanaians to learn a trade before traveling:
“When I came to America, I had no experience. If you want to travel, learn a skill first.”
He also urged Ghanaians not to be ashamed of security jobs or other humble beginnings.
“America has made me rich, but if I were in Ghana, I might have ended up doing sakawa. Hard work saved my life.”
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