Alberta, a Ghanaian woman based in Melbourne, Victoria, has lived in Australia for the past eleven years. Speaking on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide show with DJ Nyaami, she opened up about her life abroad, her career journey, and the realities many Africans face in the diaspora.
Alberta was born and raised in Kumasi before later moving with her parents to Abenakwa. She always believed she would travel abroad, so after completing senior high school, she did not continue to tertiary education. Her father eventually filed for her and her siblings to join him in Australia.
Upon arriving in Australia, Alberta enrolled in an aged-care training program. She stayed home for eight months before securing her first job in domiciliary care, helping elderly people. While working, she enrolled in the university to study nursing and later graduated with a diploma in mental health.
She explained that side hustles became important for her after getting married and having a child. Alberta noted that she could have even used her home for business if she had realized earlier how helpful extra income streams were. She has been married for six years and currently works in both healthcare and disability care—a field where many Black migrants often find employment.
According to Alberta, obtaining a nursing degree previously cost around $60,000, but now it is free in Australia. Because of this, many new migrants quickly look for partners to marry so they can regularize their documents, commonly known as nkrataa. She emphasized the importance of upgrading oneself: “When you upgrade, you work less and earn more. If you don’t upgrade, you’ll have to work double.”
Alberta also spoke about mental health in the diaspora. She said Africans are raised with resilience because of the challenges back home, so when difficulties arise abroad, they often push harder to support their families. However, many white Australians may have experienced traumas that make them more vulnerable to depression. She explained that social activities—going to church, joining the Ghanaian community, and having a life outside work—are critical to preventing depression. Many Africans who work continuously without rest end up overwhelmed and emotionally drained.
Speaking about marriage abroad, Alberta noted that relationships thrive when both partners support each other. “You can’t bring Ghana-style marriage where the man handles everything. Here, he will get depressed,” she said. She and her husband are both introverts with few friends, but they understand each other and have built a strong partnership. They met after senior high school in Ghana, and Alberta later brought him to Australia. Because they had loved each other through tough times when they were both poor, she trusted that he would not disappoint her after relocating.
She narrated a story about a friend whose Ghanaian marriage failed in Australia. The woman married a Nigerian man she met in church, believing he was God-fearing. However, after obtaining his one-year visa, he quickly married someone else—another woman whose parents had approved the union. He brought the new wife abroad, had a child with her, and they now live together. Alberta’s friend has one child with the man but refused to help him get permanent residency after the betrayal.
Alberta shared that her father, who once lived in Australia and supported the family, has now relocated to Ghana on pension. She visits Ghana frequently and expressed gratitude to him for everything he has done. She also revealed her long-term plan: “We won’t retire in Australia. We will move back to Ghana.”
Through her story, Alberta highlighted the challenges, lessons, and emotional realities faced by many Africans abroad—balancing work, mental health, family, and the pursuit of a better life.
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