"I Had a Better Life in Ghana": UK-Based Ghanaian Nurse Cries, Vows to Return Home
- UK-based Ghanaian nurse Nana Akua has shared a heartbreaking account of her severe financial and emotional struggles since relocating to the United Kingdom
- Speaking on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide with DJ Nyaami, the mother of two revealed she spent between £8,000 and £10,000 on travel agents to secure her visa
- Despite running businesses and owning an apartment in Ghana, her life imploded after she lost her job in January, leaving her stranded, deeply depressed, and separated from her children
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The romanticised narrative surrounding migration to Europe has suffered another massive reality check after a UK-based Ghanaian healthcare professional went public with her profound operational regrets.
Source: UGC
Appearing on SVTV Africa, Nana Akua shattered the widely held assumption that relocating abroad automatically translates to instant luxury, warning professionals back home to think twice before liquidating their local assets to fund a move to the UK.
Before embarking on her journey, Nana Akua enjoyed a high-tier economic status within the local Ghanaian nursing sector, a luxury many struggle to achieve.
"I was a nurse in Ghana, had my own two-bedroom apartment, a thriving side business, and I could even leave my main salary completely untouched for months," she recounted emotionally.
However, the allure of the British pound convinced her to pay travel syndicates a staggering £10,000 to facilitate her relocation.
landing in the UK, the stark reality of institutional pressure, exorbitant living costs, and the gruelling cycle of paying to renew her Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) every two years quickly drained her finances.
Ghanaian nurse goes broke abroad
Things took a catastrophic turn for the nurse earlier in 2026.
"In January, I lost my job," Nana Akua shared through tears.
"I had managed to save £5,000 and desperately wanted to buy a ticket to return to Ghana permanently, but people around me advised me to stay and keep trying. I ended up squandering the entire savings on survival and bills".
The financial bleeding is only a fraction of her pain. Nana Akua opened up on the devastating mental health toll of being completely separated from her children, who have remained back home in Ghana for the last three years.
"I cry a lot and get severely depressed. Honestly, thinking about my children is the only thing that keeps me alive right now," she shared.
She also issued a stern warning to vulnerable migrant women, exposing certain diaspora men who deceptively offer emotional support or shelter only to sexually exploit them without offering any actual financial assistance or help with rent.
Exhausted by the endless cycle of working strictly to pay bills, Nana Akua confirmed she is now actively finalising plans to return home, reunite with her kids, and rebuild her local nursing career from scratch.
Read the details in the Facebook post below.
Reaction to nurse crying to return home
The viral interview has sparked an explosive debate among Ghanaians over the true cost of leaving the country:
@David_Annan wrote:
"My lady, it's painful that people back home never believe these stories until it happens to them personally. The raw advice you are giving clearly shows you are telling the absolute truth. God comfort you."
@Oppg_Michael advised differently:
"Please stay where you are and do your best to survive. No where cool in this world. Ghana, as well, isn't that cool, Masa. Things are extremely hard here, too. Let God lead your steps 🙏."
@Nana_Ama_Hayford commented:
"Abroad, 8 hours of work means a brutal 8 hours of intense labour! It's not like Ghana, where you can be nonchalant or sit down scrolling through your phone. Only the extremely hardworking and resilient survive happily there."
@Pete_Rina added:
"Exactly. Over there, they practice the exact raw nursing that Florence Nightingale wrote down. You will change diapers, clean the sick, and feed them manually for 8 straight hours. It's tough, ampa!"
@Tymer_Kelsin joked lightly to ease the tension:
"I will arrange a whole traditional Adowa dance troupe to meet you at the Kotoka International Airport arrival hall! Just tell us when you are boarding. Welcome home in advance!"
Source: YEN.com.gh
