Moved to Ghana from Canada without a business - This is how

For me, I always leave there like a sjona, a traveler, a pilgrim. I left Ghana determined to come back. Yes. Um the question was when I think that especially if you you got an education like first degree and up, I think you should be in Ghana. You can add so much value to Ghana. As my oldest grew, we realized that he had some health issues. And when we sought help here in Ghana, we were told that yeah, we could get the help, but we would have to pay. So my husband took him back. Was it worth it? Oh yes, it was worth it. Oh my. I love it. Whenever you bring up the topic of how one can sustain themselves financially in Ghana after moving from the west, majority would advise starting a business rather than seeking employment. Well, there is a qualification that will almost guarantee you a high-paying job in Ghana that nobody's talking about. In this video, I speak to Elizabeth, a wonderful woman who returned to Ghana after a 20-year relationship with Canada and thriving without starting or owning a business in Ghana. We delve into her journey to find out how this is possible. I hope you find it useful. Let me speak for the women because that's where the challenge tends to be that the husband would want to come to back home but the wife would not. My name is Mickey. Keep watching. Auntie Elizabeth, thank you very much for having me. My pleasure. Finally, finally we meet. Um, so people watching you right now, I know you moved from Canada to Ghana, right? Um, briefly, can you introduce yourself and what you're doing in Ghana since you've been back? My name full name is Elizabeth Achoma AMO and since coming back to Ghana past three years, um, I did a bit of law practice, but now full-time I lecture at the faculty of law here in USD. So I speak to a lot of people right I speak to a lot of people who came from Europe from the west they came to Ghana most of them is a lot of businesses they do businesses one thing my wife wanted me to do was to do my masters and do a PhD and come and lecture right um it was something that we we think is a really really really good um proposition what was the journey like can you paint that picture for Um in terms of my educational journey, yeah, it it it took a lot of commitment. Yes. Um and it has paid off. So it's worth it if you have that plan and the commitment. It it's something worth doing. Um I did all my legal training here in Ghana. So went to secondary school, then on to the faculty of law at um University of Ghana, now they call it um the school of law. Yes. And did my law degree there. It was pretty intense because in my time they would admit I think 84 people and then after the first year which they call baptism by fire they would select only 60. So there will be people who would have studied law for a year but don't get to pursue it um to the very end and they would have to go do other courses. So the first year was stressful but once we um fortunately and by yours grace I got selected to continue um it just took a lot of studying hard and um at that time I didn't have that close a relative who was practicing law or um I had a grand uncle who was a lawyer but it seemed a bit far removed and so it took um me just pressing on and mostly learning also from my friends but a lot of people had parents who were lawyers or or close relatives who were lawyers. Lawyer um the field of law tends to run in families. Yes. So um not having that much of a background um didn't give me the support initially but once I took off and once I made good friends it worked out. So that was for the law degree and then on to law school and then when I wanted to do the masters there was no masters in law in Ghana running at that time. So then I had to look for schools abroad and that's where I ended up in Canada. In Canada okay so so after first degree or was it after masters that you went to Canada? After first degree first degree. Yeah. So I did my masters in the journey like you know from University of Ghana to Canada. How was it like? Very interesting. um thing is I didn't have a scent to make the trip right to say I'm p I'm going to pursue a masters and off I go no I didn't have the money so I did the applications and computers were then coming at that on at that time so I'll go to an internet cafe all those around me will be like playing their games or whatever they are doing I'll be looking at schools abroad and those um that had scholarships and so I would apply and all of that it took a lot um also So what was great is that the law firm I was working at, people would point me to others who had been abroad to do their masters. So then if I find that somebody's done it, I'll go ask them and then they would tell me how they did. So eventually um Queens University um sent me an email that I had admission and I had full scholarship. That was a huge blessing. But then I didn't have the money to um make the trip. the flight to um to Canada was not included. So I had to raise that in Ghana but um Yoa is good. So he helped me and so many people helped me and I was able to then go. So full scholarship is is it is it still in existence? Does it still I I believe there are plenty scholarships out there. It's just um your preparation just waiting to meet the opportunities. I think that there are great scholarships out there to this day, but um you have to be committed in looking for it, in positioning yourself to fit what they looking for and once you hit the nail on the head, you you can get scholarships. Okay. Yeah. So, um before we get into the life, how life was like in Canada, education in Ghana and education over there, were there difference? huge different difference in that they had like in Ghana the books were limited and all of that we took our lecturers notes at sacrosant and all that but their huge library all the books were available and so I got what you'd say information overload like on this topic there's so many authors I had to learn to think to analyze and figure out that so if these are five thoughts on this same matter what do I think what do you think didn't used to think that my voice was needed. So by time I learned to have an opinion. Yeah, that was the big difference. Okay. And the lecturers wanted to know what my opinion was. Nobody had been asking me that. So with what you know right now um and you now being in academia in Ghana, what have you done to sort of um merge what you learned in Canada into our educational system? Um I think that that that is my mission actually. I want my students to think. I want to know also what they think. Not only should they think but they should share what they think. So um when I ask a question in in a lecture I often tell them this is your opportunity to shine. Who knows what you're thinking? So share it. I'm going to read your work and this is genius. Yeah. And you can teach me something. Yeah. So I I I use that approach a lot and um I find that when I say I'm asking you questions, I need answers from you. They they don't expect me to be doing that. They expect me to tell them something and then they will go. Right? So um a friend just um told me that maybe at the beginning of my lecture I should tell them that I'll be asking you questions so that they will prepare because I find that sometimes they are very reticent. They wouldn't um speak. I would love to be in your class. um that that would be my joy. Yeah, I would love to be in your class because I always warn people I I'm always opinionated and it doesn't serve me well in classrooms. So whenever I go to classroom because I'm not stating the obvious answers I'm always like a little bit low but hey it's all good. Okay, it's a good thing so keep it. So I am sat here right now right and I'm working in I'm a student in University of Ghana and I'm telling you that straight after University of Ghana I want to go to Canada or I want to go to UK America to build a life over there. Mhm. How was life like and what will you tell me? So from what you know with your life in Canada how long were you in Canada for? In and out I've had like a over 20 year relationship with Canada. Okay. So what would be your advice to me? I would say go then come back. That's what I'll say because um it it's it's great to have traveled to have seen that around this globe other people are at other places in different environments living life different from what you know and so to be able to go there and see into that life I think that it's a great experience because you always take something from that. So I would say for anybody who has the desire to see more of the world than Ghana should be able to do that. After all, we see a lot of young North Americans and Europeans traveling the world. Why wouldn't we have that dream? We have it too. So I would say go. Um once you've gone, take what you can make the best of your life there. But for me, I always leave there like a sjona. Mhm. Was I've never heard that song before. a traveler, a pilgrim. Yes. So I knew that I was coming home. Yes. I I settled but not to the extent that I wouldn't be able to approve if I needed to. Yes. So I I always um I didn't have too much. I didn't acquire too many things because then it would be difficult to get rid of it or to ship it, you know. So that is why I said I was a Sjgera. Yeah. But I also settled enough to make friends and make connections, create community. my my children got grandparents there only because we adopted them and all of that. So that's good. So um enjoy the life there but also be looking around you and saying to yourself when I do go back to Ghana um what can I go and add in Ghana as we talked about my teaching and even my attitude towards my students? I respect my students. I I uh I'm open to them speaking to me and me hearing what they think and all of that. That's what I brought back with me because there everybody wanted to hear what I taught and I I wasn't ready because who's asking what I think you know at least at that time. Yeah. So I would say go but take what you can add it to what you already have and bring it back. When you say take what you can you talking only are you talking about substance or knowledge? Are you talking money? everything the way of life there. What is good about it that you can bring up back with you? Your career or your field? What is good in it that you can add to what you may have started in Ghana? So everything that you can bring here uh do. So was it always your desire to come back or like for me I never wanted to come back to Ghana but leaving life and growing that was when I realized that oh okay it's actually beneficial for me to come back. Was it always like that or was it a peculiar thing that happened in Canada that made you started thinking that way? I I left Ghana determined to come back. Yes. Um the question was when right and when I met my husband cuz we met and married in Canada that was one thing we agreed on that we will return home. Was it a deal breaker for you? It wasn't I hadn't even said it as a a deal breaker but it became something we immediately talked about because he said that he would want to grow old in Ghana and I said same for me. And so we always worked that way that um we would return to Ghana and we we planned it um to the point where we even sold our house four years before we made the move because it was winding down your house over there there four years before we came because we were winding down and we didn't want it to become too much of an issue. Right. Yeah. So um it was always our thoughts and of course I I'd had relatives like my dad and his brothers and some of my aunties too from my mom's side. They they all studied abroad but they all came back home. So it's something that was in my family. Um not for a second did I think that I will permanently leave other than Ghana. Can you please walk me through the journey and all the challenges that you faced you know deciding to move and come can you please and some of the plans that you put in place so that we can take the nuggets. Okay. um it wasn't too much of a challenge because once you make the decision then everything will line up right and it's because people don't make the decision they dream it they talk it but they don't take action so I remember when we arrived in Canada my husband's cousin said um so when do you say you're going back and then we say okay in 10 years he say okay add another 10 to it because he thought it was a joke but that's the thing put a date even if you can to it a year a create a time everything put it and then start working um down to that date. So once you set that okay in the next 10 years we'll go everything you are doing is towards you moving on that 10th year and then your daytoday you it becomes easier to break things down. You take a job knowing they don't know but you know that you'll be going um at a certain point and what do you want from the job? Do you need to save? you need to plan and all of that. So that's the um the plan is to have a date or at least have a year that you want to be back in Ghana and then all your life will revolve around that and your preparation will just start to flow and thing is even having that at the last minute it was still down to a crunch. we ended up, oh, throw that couch out. Throw that out. I won't be shipping that because whether you like it or not, you have a lot of things. We're a family of five and so um even with planning um at the last minute, it can get challenging, but you can still implement it so long as you you have determined that that's what you want to do. Um everything else can be um brought in line. Yeah. Yeah. I I always tell whenever I'm at the dinner table with my friends back in the UK, I tell them that I wish that in 2029, all I will have is a backpack. So, as soon as I give them my ID card and I leave the camp, I'm going to the airport. But, as you said, it's probably I'll probably have some business that I need to take care of. So, yeah. But at least you have a year. You you already picture how you're going to be living with a backpack and all of that. So, keep the picture. Yeah. Um, so how about your kids? Yeah, the kids. How did they accept? Yes, that thanks for bringing that in. Yes. When you told them you were relocated. Yes. So, our kids from when they were born always knew that we were so you always told them that we will be going to Ghana. Always. Everything we did as I told you was towards eventually returning home. M and so they were very aware of that and well informed well informed the only thing they didn't know was that life in Ghana is very different from life in North America right because we didn't bring them for holidays we would come and then they would be there and so when we did come um when the day came for us to leave it was time this is our family's plan and they had difficulty because um they were older. Um the girls were crying about their friends, things like that. But we said to them, if we say stay, we will go. You have your Canada have it. You might wake up tomorrow and your friend says we are moving to China. What are you going to do? So it's our family and this is what our family is doing. So we kept things together as a family and so it was not difficult bringing them. It was them adjusting here that was difficult. Yes. So for you, how was the transition like? I know in your head it doesn't look like you even left but as a as a family difficult. It was difficult because remember I went to school here. So when I arrived um my mates all settled well placed you know I didn't even have a car uh because we're waiting for our car to come and so I I basically kind of had to start life all over again here and I accepted that though sometimes was very challenging and also the the job I'd set my heart on to go back to um the faculty at that time the government was not allowing recruitment and so I had to pivot and I went to a law firm to practice for a year, but I hadn't also practiced for quite a while. So, that was not um easy. And I I I went to um people who I had taught and and they taught me. Yeah. But it it was great. I love that that happened actually because um that's like with the law you you you realize that when it came back the dynamics had changed. Oh, a lot had changed. a lot. You settle for you never stop learning. So I had to learn I had to um learn again things what is now different what don't we do anymore in practice and all of that. So constant learning and so while I was at the firm I had put in the application and I thanks so much my friends who I knew from the past and they were very um eager to have me back in teaching because um I said I've had a 20- year relationship with Canada. I I did come home once before and stayed for 5 years teaching at the faculty. Then I left for 11 years. So um that group that I'd met in that 5 years, they were they did all they could to get me back to the faculty. So as soon as there was an opening, they put out a word for me and then the university rehired me and there too I had to learn again because now there was a graduate program. Before it was just the LLB, the first degree. Now we had masters and PhD students and um with a doctorate I was teaching in that program too. So um lots of learning to this day you never stop learning. So you said you came 5 years and you left. Was there a reason why? For family reasons. Um yeah when we came the first time again all my family myself my husband and my two children then. And then um as my oldest grew we realized that he had some health issues. And when we sought help here in Ghana, we were told that yeah, we could get the help, but because it was not um like a condition that would kill him, you know, he could live with it if if we let it be. Um but we wanted to correct it. And so we would have to pay, right? And so we decided that um because he was born in Canada, that treatment he could get um as part of being who he was, that is a regular Canadian. So we thought let's take him back. So my husband took him back but when the doctors um examined him they said the treatment program will take 5 years. Okay. So we were like what are we going to do in that 5 years? Would my husband and my son stayed there and and every 6 months he had to have surgery. So yeah so you go in he recovered. Yes. In that that's what it would take. So eventually after a year we decided that I would take the now we had two girls. I would take them resign. First I took a leave of absence but then I had to resign and focus on raising my child. So even when I went back I didn't go into a job and I taught part-time a bit and then mainly I focused on raising my children and then my son's medical needs in and out in and out of hospital. We went to hospital a whole lot. Yes. But they did everything they could for him. And the five years became 10 years. M so we came 11th year after he was all done and through through it all you still managed to come back to Ghana that's the thing plan so it you are very you have a strong conviction for people to come back to Ghana yes why should people have that dream oh my I think that especially if you you got an education like a first degree and up I think you should be in Ghana you can add so much value to Ghana there. Yes, I was adding value to Canadian society. I even worked for a government ministry and all of that, but here you can do so much more and and you would get recognition for it and you can see that you add so much to this society because there's a lot more here that needs to be done, right? So if you are well educated why not do it here where you are also um you know an indigenous a native someone who comes from here why don't you be the one making things better why leave it for someone else so one thing I've realized why a lot of people want to come back and they want a soft landing you know they want to have good life I mean I always tell people and I've done a poll on my channel where I ask people if if they had money and time in abundance where would they want to be and majority of them wanted Africa Asia basically places that we call third world countries right so it's no brainer that if you have money a place like Ghana is amazing how did you manage to sort your finance out to be able to make a stick over here okay I I love personal finance so I always keep my eye on the money Right? And I I ask myself um if I'm buying something, why would I spend that money and not keep it? Right? So when people are saying, "Oh, just buy just it's my money. I decide where it goes." Right? And so we kept our eye on our money and uh we made sure that we made investments here. So when we're coming home, for instance, with our kids to give them a soft landing, we told them, "Your bedrooms are ready." You know, so it means you built your own house. built our own home um put our our money here, right? And and placed it in different places um to diversify and all of that. Although we did suffer a knock um with the um banking sector cleanup and all of that, but um we still were able to um hold our ground and and return. So um soft life I mean people can get very wealthy but if that doesn't happen to you even the little you have you can plan what do you want to use it for. So if it's Ghana you want to be then you put your money um where your desire is and that's what we did. Yeah. So investment a lot of investment and being wise. Yeah you have to make investments in Ghana. And if you are concerned about um people squandering your money and all of that um you have to maybe take time to come to Ghana and both my husband and I our jobs allow for let's say you can ask your employer to take a portion of your pay off in a three-year period you would only be paid for 2 years. Then in the third year, you take that third year off, but you get the third part of your pay, right? And so my husband did that a couple of times so that he could spend a whole year in Ghana. And so I would say we built our home um without leaving it completely to friends and relatives. Yes. Yes. We made time to make sure that we were here. Yeah. Nice. So people someone is in Newcastle somewhere and thinking oh I want to become a lecturer. Um what would be the tips? How what would you tell them? How do they lay the foundation so that they can hopefully walk into a job? You didn't but at least it will make it easy for for them to walk into a lecturing job. Yeah. I think that um first you have to have an interest in something a subject area a field. It's that interest that will keep you when things get tough and all of that. So once you've determined that this is what I'm interested in, then you you study it until there's nothing to study, which will be forever, right? And so um that knowledge, you build on it because the world requires you to get a masters. And now universities in Ghana wants um PhDs. And in fact, I don't think I would have been hired if I didn't have a PhD. PhD. Yeah. So if you want to be a lecturer, I'll say go go get that doctorate with that the I mean so many institutions are coming up in Ghana and you the opportunity to teach is there. It's there. It's really there. Yeah. You said a lot about myself and my husband. Myself and my husband. How important is it to have both mom and dad and the family in this decision making? How? It's everything. It's everything cuz we met a lot of Ghanaian families in in Toronto and most often one wanted to come home and the other did not and it never worked out because then also most often the one who wanted to come home would give up right so um us being agreed on that was has been key right and let me speak for the women because that's where the challenge tends to be that the husband would want to come to back home but the wife would not. And I can understand many of our women because if um what they do in North America is is just um you know work that doesn't require too much specialization then it's difficult like I I've been blessed to be able to come back and have a doctorate and therefore the university would want to hire me right but um not having that qualification can make things difficult for a woman who has left Ghana where things are challenging and gotten a comfortable life in North America. So, um that tends to be the challenge. But I would say they should not despair because let's say if you're a hairdresser in the UK or you can come and set up a unique hairdressing business here. um if you are whatever you are just the way you will do it can be so different and able to earn you a living here. So you really have to want to come home and you can plan and still be able to do it. It's not just about having a PhD. I don't think so. It's about bringing again what you've seen there bring it here add what you know here and you can still make a good living. Yeah. So you come with kids. I'm also coming to Ghana with kids and sometimes I get a bit confused the direction I want the education to go. Is it possible to share your like what is your future dreams or plans for the kids education? Is it something you can share? I can share but that's my plan. I don't know their I don't know all of your plans. Yeah. But I for the time that I am parenting I decide. That's it. So, what I I did was that um I didn't go looking for extra fancy expensive schools for them. I'm being paid by the government of Ghana and I have to live on my on my income unless I make more. So, I put my my my daughters because my son had finished high school. I put my daughters in the youngest one. It was it's a private school, but it's a Catholic private school. It's not so so expensive. and she's had to adjust to a lot of things, but that's why I put her and I can afford to pay her fees there. And then for the older one, I just put her in the um senior high school system and I taught her um how to board the tro from home and get to school. We did it for a week and then she went on and has done it and finished senior high school, went to um the regular one. So I didn't have to go pay any school fees in dollars or anything and it has taught my children many things. Um what I did is that the first year my husband and I, not just I, we focused on helping them and they faced a lot of challenges. But every night we would talk them through it. We will look for options. We'll look for ways to do it. How can you show someone who is not aware that you have a right that you do have a right, you know, because um that's where you're used to that your rights being respected. You can bring something to that school. And for instance, my my daughter is now the sports pre, the youngest one, the sports preet in her school and she loves it and she she brings her special touch to the different sports programs and activities advocates for sports um to be put on the timetable even though they are close to exams and all of that. So um we didn't do it in such a way that it will get too expensive just because we want to replicate North America here. You can't unless you pay a whole lot like create a whole country yourself. So are they going to go through the tertiary here and then that's our plan and and then as mature adults if they choose to go back they can. Yes. Um I forgot to ask so how is your son doing? He's he's very good. Yeah he's very good. Um what all that treatment has done is that he hasn't ended up dead. He hasn't ended up um not being able to walk on his own. Um he's ended up being able to do um all his self-care by himself. He can do that. Yeah. And right now he's working on starting his own business. We've been supporting him um in photography, printing, graphic design, things like that. Yeah, that's what he's doing. No, nice to nice to hear. So, would you do it again? Was it worth it? Oh, yeah. Yes, it was worth it. Oh my. I love it. like it it didn't start out with me loving it. So let's not romanticize everything. It was difficult settling back in. For instance, if you go to a government office, nothing works and you're frustrated and all of that. But for all those things, I had to work on myself that what I've seen is not what that worker there has seen, the efficiency I think that they should be using and all of that. So what can I do? Um, I can calm down, you know, I can figure out, I can push them. I, you know, you find ways to deal with it. But I love the slower pace. Look, the cases I was doing in the government ministry, it was an algorithm that was giving me the cases. It works 24 hours. I close a case, it gives me one. I close a case, it gives me one. In Canada, in Canada, unless I go and tell my manager that I'm too tired to keep at this pace, right? M but here things are slower and sometimes people say that's not good and all of that but what do we want in life like the rat race or to live to brea isn't it this is it I love my mornings I come out to my garden and I I water my plants yeah and I I intend doing more work here and turning it into an oasis who knows but yeah I I love to water the few plants that I have I go jogging in the morning and I can take my mornings slow and then I get into my work and all of that and I appreciate the pace, the slightly lower pace. Slower pace. Yes. So, um, last but two question. What sort of mindset does someone need to have to be able to enjoy Ghana the way you are enjoying Ghana? Yeah. Accept it for what it is. You know, I I people I wish they would do. I wish. But that's a wish, right? So once you've accepted it for what it is, then you become a problem solver that how do I solve this problem that I'm confronted with and not kill myself in the process of doing it. Nobody cares if you die off. So um when you face a problem in Ghana, you have to figure out how you're going to solve it and everything. And then you also set your mind that all the things you were dreaming about in Ghana, the food, the people, the smells, the community, all the things, enjoy them, you know, don't don't waste your time always comparing. Enjoy them. Um, actually grab a hold of them. Enjoy them because now you're here. Yeah. That's the kind of mindset you need and then you can add to things and still enjoy it for what it is. Yeah. So um when I went on this journey to be talking to people to try and ask them of tips on how I can move to Ghana with my family, I think I took it lightly. This is my third stint and this time it's actually hitting me hard like meeting people like yourself and people in the hotel industry, education. One thing you said that I I always look for stamp of approval. Okay. And when it happens, I get a dopamine shot. The way you said you you've not settled. It's not like you knew you were going to leave um the west to come. I'm like that. It's it's like that that when I'm in a house, I don't even put photos on the wall cuz I know it will be coming off and I don't want to scratch um the place and that. So, thank you very much for what you do and thank you for the education sector as well. the way you are changing and I know you are on a journey to change it and it's not going to be my last time talking to you because we are on different groups together and I'm always I'm happy because you see it's always created this perception that like in the academia you can't leave and then come back and come back yeah it's actually the easiest way you are doing so well in the European and like that the advanced countries in the academia. Yes. But switching it back to Ghana or Africa has become a no no because everybody feels if you go and then come back then you're into business or you into maybe your own thing. But now that we've seen that people go back and come back into the like should I say government field either academia or ministries then it's possible. It's possible. You can come back. and your expertise will be utilized in that they miss I I and I understand they miss the support system that makes their work easy like now I don't have a printer and you're supposed to write requesting one I've written requesting and I've been told like it would take a year who knows two for me to get a printer but there there's a printer in the faculty and whatever I want printed will be printed if I request it it's only just that it's in the administration but if I need a million pages and that's enables me to do my job. I will request that my million pages be printed. Right. So I I don't have the convenience of pressing h my machine in my office which one day when it comes I hope I appreciate it. Nice. Yeah. So those are the things you will miss and things happening on time. Uh things being slow um you know you having to make connections before you get something things like that. Um, most people don't want to deal with that. Yeah. So, yeah, I was I was just going to thank you for the gem that you've dropped and for your advice. And if you have a final final thing for anybody watching us just sitting on the wishing horse, what would you say to them? I would say plan and then action. Unless you don't want it, but if you do have that dream, how do you make dreams come true? They don't stay in dreamland. they have to be put into action. So, and if you want it um then you work towards it. And I believe that that's something uh you you need to grab a hold of that dream it don't stop there. Plan and action. Yes, Dr. Elizabeth, thank you very much. My pleasure. It's been my pleasure.