From Tiler in Ghana to British Army Engineer: The Inspiring Story of James
James, a Ghanaian popularly known as a “Ghanaian baddie in London,” shared his inspiring journey on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide show with DJ Nyaami. He has been living in the United Kingdom for the past four years, but his story of determination began long before that, back in Ghana.
After completing JSS, James secretly enrolled in a vocational school without his parents’ knowledge—they believed he was attending a regular secondary school. He learned tiling as a trade and became highly skilled, but life in Ghana was tough.
“I wanted to travel because I saw no future for myself in Ghana,” he explained. “I had a purpose, and most of my family members were already abroad.”
James told his mother about a dream he had of traveling, and through his brother—who is a film director—he was able to secure a visitor’s visa to the UK. Before traveling, he studied Building Construction at Kwahu Albert Dadi Secondary Technical Institute, where he further developed his skills as a tiler.
After receiving his visa, he stayed in Ghana for about three and a half months before leaving for the UK. Two weeks after arriving, he returned to Ghana and stayed for nine months. Many people thought he had been deported, but he actually held a 10-year multiple-entry visa to the UK.
When he finally settled back in the UK, life wasn’t easy. “A friend who told me not to go back to Ghana later refused to host me,” he recalled. “Another friend with very little helped me, and I started doing warehouse jobs before moving into construction.”
Even in construction, he faced exploitation. “Some people didn’t pay me because they knew my immigration papers were still processing. They’d threaten me to leave,” he said.
Despite the setbacks, James kept pushing until he landed a life-changing opportunity — a petrol engineer position in the British Army.
“Joining the army wasn’t easy, but it transformed my life,” he said proudly. “Now, I also run a boutique business back in Ghana.”
James advised the youth to stay focused and work hard:
“Life abroad isn’t as easy as it looks, but with discipline and determination, your story can change.
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