Yaw Manu, a Ghanaian based in the United Kingdom, has shared a painful and cautionary account of his experience abroad during an interview with Dj Nyaami on Svtv Africa’s Matter Dey. Formerly a member of the security services in Ghana, Yaw also ran several side businesses and was financially stable before deciding to travel.
According to him, some of his family members living in the UK encouraged him to travel so he could raise funds to purchase heavy machines for work back in Ghana. Before the UK trip, Yaw had already traveled to countries such as Turkey and Denmark. After discussions with his relatives, he agreed to the plan and was made the main applicant for the UK visa. He passed his first interview but later encountered issues and initially withdrew from the process. After further persuasion, he returned, completed the process, and was finally granted a visa.
Yaw explained that when he arrived in the UK, his family initially supported him, and he stayed at home for about a month. He later began asking about the promised job, only to be told to attend training. There, he realized he was not alone—other Ghanaians, Indians, and Lebanese were in the same situation. Many of them had been brought to the UK under similar promises, yet there were no real jobs. Families had paid huge sums of money, and newcomers were expected to pay the money back while still covering rent and bills.
He said life quickly became unbearable, as he could not secure steady work but had to survive in an expensive system. Based on his experience, Yaw warned that anyone in Ghana who can earn a decent living through business should think carefully before traveling abroad.
Yaw revealed that while he was in the UK, some white employers contacted him for work back in Ghana, not knowing he was abroad. He requested payment and used the money to buy return tickets to Ghana. However, by the time he returned, he was mentally and emotionally broken.
He described widespread hardship among immigrants abroad, explaining that many people are stranded and cannot afford flight tickets home. Some women, he said, resort to prostitution to survive. According to him, Nigerians and Indians dominate some of these spaces, while many Ghanaians suffer quietly without jobs. He alleged that some companies charge between £500 and £1,000 for supposed job placements, while certain middlemen demand as much as £7,000 to £15,000, even though there is no actual work.
Yaw said the situation worsened when his children joined him in the UK. He admitted he should have left them in Ghana, as caring for them under such pressure nearly broke him. At times, money had to be sent from Ghana to help him feed the children. He struggled to find schools for them and feared government intervention due to his unstable income situation.
Eventually, he secured a cleaning job far from where he lived, walking long distances daily just to survive. He recounted moments of extreme despair and homelessness, including begging for food, experiences that sharply contrasted with his former life in Ghana, where he lived comfortably, hosted people generously, and had already built his own house before traveling.
Yaw said after several months of suffering, his nephew informed him that he could no longer stay in the rented apartment. With nowhere to go and his children’s safety at stake, Yaw secured a contract in Ghana, bought tickets, and returned home after spending seven months in the UK.
Reflecting on his ordeal, Yaw said many people on social media exaggerate success abroad to hide their suffering. He stressed that some immigrants survive on gari without sugar and live in silence and shame. He added that his wife later apologized for pushing him to travel, believing that life abroad would automatically bring wealth.
Yaw concluded by advising Ghanaians, especially professionals and business owners, to consider investing at home rather than risking everything abroad. “Ghana is not hard for me,” he said, urging people to learn from his experience and not be deceived by the illusion of easy success overseas.
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