Mavis, an international teacher based in Vietnam, shared her story in an interview with DJ Nyaami on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide.
She revealed that if conditions in Ghana were better after she completed university, she wouldn’t have traveled abroad.
However, if things improve and she can secure a job paying 5,000 GHC, she would consider returning home.
Adjusting to life abroad has been a challenge, as it is quite different from life in Ghana. While some people feel frustrated, others are comfortable but still feel like they are missing something.
Mavis explained that her main concern about returning to Ghana is finding a sustainable source of income that won’t leave her broke. Working abroad provides more money, but it comes with bills, rent, and other financial obligations.
She also spoke about the cultural challenges of living abroad. “Sometimes, when I see people partying in Ghana, I feel lonely here,”
she said. “I don’t want to feel odd, but they call us ‘ochofi’ or ‘blacks,’ and they think our continent is poor, so they use funny names to describe us.”
Mavis reflected on her teaching experience in Vietnam and China, stating that while she faced insults from parents in China, the situation was not as severe in Vietnam.
She recounted how students made funny comments like calling her “teacher with octopus hair.” Once, during a school break, the children watched a video from a Nigerian content creator portraying Africa in a negative light.
The students laughed, calling Africans poor, but when they heard she was from America, they were impressed.
She also highlighted the issue of fraudsters deceiving people into coming to Vietnam, only to leave them stranded.
“Fraudsters have blocked the type of visas we were using, but they still claim jobs are available,” Mavis said.
While salaries for foreign workers are higher than those of local Vietnamese workers—something even doctors have acknowledged—some people on tourist visas end up working in construction or warehouse jobs, earning less than $10 a day.
Such wages are insufficient to cover expenses or renew visas, let alone send money back home.
Despite the challenges, Mavis remains optimistic.
“I believe in God, but in Vietnam, people don’t rely on faith alone.
No matter how much faith you have, you need to work hard to survive,” she stated. She advised potential migrants to do thorough research before moving to Vietnam.
While she finds Vietnam to be a good place, she wouldn’t leave for another country without proper preparation.
Mavis added that she cannot consider moving to the U.S. to take a low-income job because it wouldn’t allow her to support her daughter.
Currently, she is in a long-distance relationship and making the best of her circumstances.
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