Odo Tiwaah, a Ghanaian based in Toronto, Canada, has shared her powerful life story on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide Show with DJ Nyaami, shedding light on migration, hard work, loss, and resilience.
According to Odo Tiwaah, she has lived in Canada for 35 years and works every day, with no “office days.” Her journey began when her mother, who was already in Canada, sponsored her and her brother to join her. Originally from Kumasi, she attended Antoa Secondary School and Yaa Asantewaa Secondary School, and moved to Canada shortly after completing high school.
Like many immigrants, her early days were tough. She started with factory work, where she once experienced racism after a white colleague told her Africans live with animals. The comment deeply hurt her but also strengthened her resolve to succeed.
Determined to build a better life, Odo Tiwaah went to hairdressing school and later returned to school to learn nursing assistance. Eventually, she focused fully on hairdressing. When working from home didn’t pay well, she opened a small salon, then expanded to two shops, and today runs a big beauty parlour.
She revealed that she used her child benefits wisely, saving them instead of spending them. She invested the money into education and later used the benefits from her second child to open her beauty business. According to her, jobs were easier to find when they first arrived in Canada,
but today jobs are scarce, which is why she strongly advises people to learn a trade or skill.
Tragedy struck in 2024 when she lost one of her children suddenly. “She wasn’t sick; she just died,” Odo Tiwaah said emotionally. Her late daughter was her biggest motivation, and she even opened a salon in her honour. Since her passing, she has been running the business alone, with help from her younger child who is still in school.
She disclosed that her first child is still in Ghana, and despite several attempts, she has been unable to bring her to Canada. The children’s fathers are alive, but she is separated from them. She expressed a desire to find a good husband figure for her children, noting that dating in Canada is difficult. According to her, men in Canada move on quickly after breakups, and marriages often end abruptly.
Odo Tiwaah also spoke candidly about relationships involving migration. She claimed many marriages fail when partners are brought from Ghana, alleging that some only use marriage as a pathway to travel and later divorce. She added that she has rarely seen such marriages last beyond three years.
Despite the pain of loss, heartbreak, and sacrifice, Odo Tiwaah says she is still healing, focused on her business, her children, and rebuilding her life step by step.
Her story is a reminder that abrokyire is not easy, success takes discipline, and behind every “good life abroad” is a story of struggle, sacrifice, and strength.
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