Papa Kofi: A Ghanaian Chemist’s Journey from Ohio to Home
Papa Kofi, a Ghanaian based in Dayton, Ohio, recently appeared on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide with DJ Nyaami to share his journey. He has spent three years in the United States, but his story begins back in Ghana.
He grew up in Kasoa, where he lived with his father, a government worker. Papa Kofi attended primary school at Western International School and later continued his education at the University of Ghana, Legon, before pursuing a degree in Chemistry at KNUST. After completing national service, he began teaching at a school. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the school closed, prompting him to explore other career paths.
Papa Kofi currently works at Cargill, where, as a chemist, he handles the processing of raw materials. His role involves extensive research programs, where he is actively engaged in lab work to advance knowledge in his field. He recalls working on electrochemistry research and receiving funding of $7,000, with additional allocations for his supervising professor. For him, being a young Black professional in a highly industrialized and research-driven environment required staying a step ahead and proving oneself.
He reflects on the cultural differences he experienced while teaching. Many of his students had preconceived perceptions about Africa, and interacting with them confidently sometimes challenged their assumptions.
When he first came to the U.S., Papa Kofi’s goal was to build houses and invest in Ghana. Yet, he quickly realized that social life in America is complex, and for many, it revolves around recreational drug use and fleeting pleasures. “America is not a place I want to stay forever,” he notes. He observes that well-educated Ghanaians often find the lifestyle here disorienting. He is not married and has no children, partly because dating dynamics among African Americans differ from those in Ghana. He hopes that his future children will attend high school in Ghana and come abroad for university. He admires Ghanaians like Akua, the farmer, who have built successful lives at home.
During his travels around Accra, Kyebi, and Cape Coast, he met an American retiree who moved from Philadelphia to Ghana to enjoy his pension. The man advised him that while America has opportunities, one should always plan to return to Ghana. Papa Kofi believes that circumstances often keep Ghanaians abroad, but his heart remains tied to his homeland.
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