Original Don, a Ghanaian based in Canada, has shared his honest perspective on life abroad and opportunities back home after recently visiting Ghana. He made these remarks during an appearance on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle GH show with DJ Nyaami.
According to Original Don, his return to Ghana opened his eyes to noticeable improvements in certain areas. “There is money in the system,” he said, “but you must study the system well to benefit from it.” He believes that while Ghana is tough, abroad is equally demanding. “No environment is easy—abroad is tight, and Ghana is tough.”
He revealed that when Ghana’s economy became challenging, he still saw many people thriving. “Some are doing Uber, agribusiness, and other ventures and making it through the hard system,” he explained. According to him, many people are making serious money simply because they understand how the system works.
Original Don also spoke against the belief that everyone must travel abroad to succeed. He cited examples of individuals who stayed in Ghana, invested wisely, and are now doing well. “One guy wanted to travel through nkrataa, sold his Camry, and paid almost GHS 100,000, thinking he would easily make €20,000 abroad. Most people don’t realize how risky that mindset is.”
He stressed that freedom in Ghana is different from what exists abroad. “Abroad, the system is designed for you to make money and spend it there—unless you’re smart enough to beat the system.”
Touching on social media, Original Don warned that many people lie about their salaries abroad to lure others. “Everything you see online is not real,” he cautioned. He encouraged young people to focus on what they are already doing instead of believing that success is impossible without travelling.
Using Canada as an example, he noted that things have become very difficult. “More than 100 workers were laid off where I work, and just this week, 10 people in my department lost their jobs—some of them already had their papers.”
He warned that spending GHS 100,000 to 200,000 to travel abroad without proper planning can be disastrous.
“If you want to do nkrataa in Canada, you may need up to CAD 20,000, and if you’re not careful, fake agents can dupe you.”
Original Don concluded with a strong message:
“If you have food, shelter, and some level of comfort in Ghana, don’t rush abroad to suffer. Some people who relocated back to Ghana are doing very well. If I were financially stable in Ghana, I’d only return to Canada for holidays—no alarm, no pressure.”
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