Savina’s Story: From Operating a Drinking Bar in Ghana to Building a New Life in the United Kingdom
Savina is a Ghanaian woman currently based in the United Kingdom, whose journey reflects resilience, sacrifice, and the complex realities of migration. In an interview, she shared her life story, beginning from her entrepreneurial days in Ghana to her current life abroad.
Savina previously lived in Ablekuma, Accra, where she operated a drinking bar for six years. Alongside selling drinks, she prepared popular local meals such as pepper soup, which helped her business grow. Through hard work and discipline, Savina revealed that the income from her bar enabled her to build her own house in Ghana, a major achievement she is proud of.
Inspired by seeing people living abroad and the happiness she believed it brought them, Savina developed a strong desire to also travel overseas. With the help of her best friend, she eventually made the journey to the UK.
According to Savina, she spent £16,000 to travel to the United Kingdom, a debt she managed to fully pay off within two years. Upon arrival, she was initially very excited and hopeful. However, reality soon set in as the company that facilitated her travel failed to provide her with a job, making the early days extremely difficult.
Before traveling, Savina had sold her bar and intended to open a new shop at her house in Ghana, but the plan was never completed due to her sudden travel opportunity. She admitted that despite doing business in Ghana for years, she never had as much as 10,000 Ghana cedis sitting in her bank account at any one time.
Life in the UK started with hardship. She struggled to pay rent and bills, and at one point relied on financial help from people she met along the way just to survive. Eventually, she met an elderly British man who supported her with rent and basic needs, which helped her stabilize temporarily.
Later, Savina met her current husband, a Nigerian national, who stood by her during a difficult phase of her life. She revealed that when they met, she had only 29 hours left to clear her debt, and he helped her settle it completely. They now have a five-month-old baby together.
Savina explained that motherhood changed her priorities. With a nursing baby, she believes it is difficult to work full-time without proper childcare support. Her husband has encouraged her to stay home and focus on raising their child for now.
She also opened up about her emotional struggles abroad, stating that social media became her source of happiness, helping her cope with loneliness. Although she initially lived outside London, she is now based in London, where she continues to rebuild her life.
Savina spoke candidly about past relationships, including a Ghanaian man she once dated, whom she described as unstable and overly focused on securing residency documents. She said she refused to be pressured into decisions that did not align with her future.
Today, Savina says her focus is on paying off remaining debts, raising her child, and finding stability. She maintains that if she succeeds financially in the UK, she will settle permanently; otherwise, she remains open to returning home.
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