Papa Badu Shares His Journey From Selling Ice Water in Ghana to Building a Life in America
Papa Badu, a Ghanaian based in the United States since 2007, has shared his emotional and inspiring journey on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide show with DJ Nyaami. Badu revealed that his father relocated to America when he was just seven years old, and for five years, the family did not hear from him. Growing up, he sold iced water on the streets of Ghana to support himself.
Later, his father filed for the entire family, but Badu was the one selected for the visa interview. At age 21, he gathered the courage to attend the interview, and he was approved. He recalled that when he arrived in America, he was extremely exhausted. His roommate welcomed him with the words, “Welcome to hell,” highlighting how difficult life in the U.S. can be for immigrants. His father also advised him to marry a woman from Ghana.
America was going through economic difficulty at the time, and jobs were scarce. Badu had to stay home and wait for his documents to be processed. Eventually, he decided to go to school. Even though he had always been interested in biology, he pursued Industrial Engineering at a polytechnic. Later, he enrolled in microbiology and physiology classes, and eventually ended up studying nursing. Although he had no medical background, he worked hard and successfully became a nurse. He was only 22 years old when his father left him in America and retired back to Ghana.
Before leaving Ghana, Badu had a girlfriend whom he promised to marry. She agreed, and he kept his word. He brought her to the United States, and today they are married with three children. He mentioned that they never actually dated, but he took a leap of faith, and it paid off. When his father passed away, his wife handled everything: she cooked for visitors, organized arrangements, and provided full support. Badu described her as an incredible blessing in his life.
He admitted that life in America is very expensive. Unlike his father—who never bought a house—Badu prioritized purchasing a home because he had a family to care for. He believes the sacrifices he has made over the years are finally paying off. His wife now works as a teacher, and since she moved to the U.S., he barely spends money on food because she cooks for him consistently.
Badu has done several menial jobs in America, including jobs he believes he would never have done in Ghana. But he explained that in Ghana, many people live in family homes and do not pay rent, while in the U.S., survival depends entirely on personal effort.
He also added that he cannot see himself living anywhere else apart from California because of the life he has built there. Although his father brought him to America, none of his brothers followed because they got married and lost interest in relocating.
According to Badu, despite the challenges, moving to America transformed his life completely, and he remains grateful for the opportunity.
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