Wow! This is such an interesting story. Very new idea to me. I can only imagine how torn they feel. Perhaps building the home was the incentive to return back permanently. Not realizing other factors would make them reconsider. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Many in that generation have spent more than half their lives away from home, so the process of readjusting can feel quite daunting.
Haitian here. Remember all the money my mom use to send back home for a home she never got to see. It’s beautiful to see what the vision was suppose to be. I realize it takes money and stability to make things like these happen. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to visit Haiti, her homeland. Especially with the way things are now.
When I was younger I used to wonder why our parents sent so much money back home, but when I finally went to see what they built, I understood. Even though they may never fully retire there permanently, they’ve created something that connects us to our roots forever. It’s truly a blessing.
It’s heartbreaking to see what’s happening in Haiti right now, and I really hope things improve so you can one day visit, reconnect, and perhaps create a lasting legacy for your son, just like your mom envisioned.
Wow. Meanwhile, those of us who are in the generations bought and brought stateside are very unmoored in similar ways, but sometimes without the land. Thanks for sharing this perspective.
Thank you for sharing that. I can understand how not having that physical connection, like land or a family home, can make that feeling of being unmoored even stronger. It’s such a complicated experience for those of us with ties to another place, but it’s even more complex when that link feels distant or absent. I really appreciate your perspective, and it’s a reminder of how layered these stories of migration and identity can be.
I've visited Ghana a few times and always took note of the empty mansions. Being able to read your piece and have the human layer added to it is a much-welcomed experience.
Wow!!! great piece!! those homes are gorgeous! it reminds me of my honduran parents who just finished building their retirement home in Honduras. They’re also stuck between two worlds. They’re in their mid 50s so lets see if it happens…
This really resonates! I'm Ghanaian-born and I spent my formative years in the States, the way my parents saved in order to support my mother's family house and build ours had us living below the poverty line my entire childhood. And just like you, my father is in Ghana most of the year, while my mother remains stateside. And as you mentioned, the issue with healthcare, aging, etc, is so real. The primary difference is that my parents arrived in the US in their early 40s, and my dad started splitting his time between Ghana and the US in 2005. Most of their friends are in Europe or Canada, and their generations are moving back. My parents are in their early 70s, so I'm curious to know how old yours are and if the age they arrived in their new homeland influences their desire to move back. I ramble on to say that their tried and true friends are still in Ghana.
My parents are in their mid-60s, and they've been in the UK since the 80s, so more than half of their lives have been spent here. My mum visits back home often, but I know that when she’s there, she misses her friends here since most of them are now in the UK. She hardly has any friends back home. My parents, especially my mum, have adapted to life in the UK so much that I don’t think she even realizes how acclimatized she’s become.
yeah -- that's so true. My parents won't move back full-time because my brother has three kids aged 5-14, and they want to be close to them (understandably). My dad always says they'll spend their golden years stateside for the grandkids and for adequate healthcare, which I get, but it makes me a bit sad for them. I feel torn between many worlds, and I went stateside young!
I relate this! It’s exactly the same with the people of Guyana (ha, so many confuse my country’s name for Ghana). I have witnessed the longings, hopes, the disappointment upon returning, the women preferring to live abroad, the men going home. And the adult children worrying about caring for the aged parents.
No, I didn’t take these pictures, I found them online. However, I personally know where these properties are located and have visited a few of them when I worked in relocation during my years living in Ghana. They’ve been sitting empty for years.
As for my mum, she always talks about wanting to go back to Ghana, but she’s dragging her feet a bit. Now she says she wants to stay close to her grandchildren, who are all young and living in the UK, so I guess she’ll be here for a while
Having gotten the opportunity to stay in one of these mansions, I never knew the stories behind them. I knew when we arrived to our destination a few years ago, i fell in love with the home we stayed in. A whole new perspective has been brought because i was definitely in the mind of moving to Ghana and getting a home like it lol but i have a newfound appreciation! Thank you for sharing! I had no idea!
When I tell you I felt this one in my bones. Last summer my godparents finished building their mansion in the Philippines. My mom and aunts and uncles visited the mansion for Christmas and reveled at its beauty. No one’s in it right now. I think of the loneliness of all that elegance. There’s also the question of infrastructure for us: do we call it haven if it exists in a dictatorship? There’s so many layers to it.
That image of your godparents beautiful mansion sitting empty really hits home, the contrast between all that elegance and the loneliness it holds is something I’ve seen in so many homes in Ghana.
And you’re so right about the layers. It’s not just about having a place to return to, but also the political and social landscape surrounding it. How do you find solace in a space when the very country it’s in is unstable or oppressive.
You’d be surprised how common this is, but I believe there’s a deeper reason behind it.
Speaking from the perspective of Africans who migrate to the U.K., many are treated as second-class citizens. It can be especially tough for Black African immigrant men, who often find themselves doing menial jobs despite their qualifications. Coming from a place where they are highly respected, simply for being men, this shift can be difficult.
I think a lot of them go back home and stay longer than the women because they feel seen and respected in a way they don’t always experience here. Maybe i should write a piece on this aswell as i have seen this a lot when i was growing up with my uncles and even my own father.
My mother-in-law, who is Haitian, has a house there that she was building for years, and now with the turmoil in the country, the house is just sitting there, empty. I hope the change will come when she is able to go back to Haiti to the house she worked so hard to build.
I'm so sorry to hear that your mother-in-law's house is just sitting there empty after all the hard work she put into it. It’s heartbreaking when a dream home, built with so much effort, remains out of reach because of the situation back home. I truly hope things improve in Haiti soon, and she gets the chance to return to the home she invested so much into.
Yes, there are some stunning homes in Ghana. I was pleasantly surprised myself the first time I visited, as the media often portrays a very different image.
I’m incredibly proud of my parents and all their hard work. Even though they don’t live in Ghana full-time, having a home there has been a huge help. When I relocated a few years ago, I was able to stay rent-free for five years, which made the transition much easier. They also have the flexibility to travel between the UK and Ghana whenever they like, which has been a great benefit for them.
Wow! This is such an interesting story. Very new idea to me. I can only imagine how torn they feel. Perhaps building the home was the incentive to return back permanently. Not realizing other factors would make them reconsider. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Many in that generation have spent more than half their lives away from home, so the process of readjusting can feel quite daunting.
Haitian here. Remember all the money my mom use to send back home for a home she never got to see. It’s beautiful to see what the vision was suppose to be. I realize it takes money and stability to make things like these happen. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to visit Haiti, her homeland. Especially with the way things are now.
Hi Marc
When I was younger I used to wonder why our parents sent so much money back home, but when I finally went to see what they built, I understood. Even though they may never fully retire there permanently, they’ve created something that connects us to our roots forever. It’s truly a blessing.
It’s heartbreaking to see what’s happening in Haiti right now, and I really hope things improve so you can one day visit, reconnect, and perhaps create a lasting legacy for your son, just like your mom envisioned.
Wow. Meanwhile, those of us who are in the generations bought and brought stateside are very unmoored in similar ways, but sometimes without the land. Thanks for sharing this perspective.
Thank you for sharing that. I can understand how not having that physical connection, like land or a family home, can make that feeling of being unmoored even stronger. It’s such a complicated experience for those of us with ties to another place, but it’s even more complex when that link feels distant or absent. I really appreciate your perspective, and it’s a reminder of how layered these stories of migration and identity can be.
This was such an insightful read, Ohenewah!
I've visited Ghana a few times and always took note of the empty mansions. Being able to read your piece and have the human layer added to it is a much-welcomed experience.
Thank you so much! I’m glad the piece resonated with you.
Wow!!! great piece!! those homes are gorgeous! it reminds me of my honduran parents who just finished building their retirement home in Honduras. They’re also stuck between two worlds. They’re in their mid 50s so lets see if it happens…
Thank you for reading.
Yes, these are some of the most beautiful homes I have ever seen, it’s a far cry from what the media portray how people live in Africa.
This really resonates! I'm Ghanaian-born and I spent my formative years in the States, the way my parents saved in order to support my mother's family house and build ours had us living below the poverty line my entire childhood. And just like you, my father is in Ghana most of the year, while my mother remains stateside. And as you mentioned, the issue with healthcare, aging, etc, is so real. The primary difference is that my parents arrived in the US in their early 40s, and my dad started splitting his time between Ghana and the US in 2005. Most of their friends are in Europe or Canada, and their generations are moving back. My parents are in their early 70s, so I'm curious to know how old yours are and if the age they arrived in their new homeland influences their desire to move back. I ramble on to say that their tried and true friends are still in Ghana.
Hi Grace
Thanks for reading.
My parents are in their mid-60s, and they've been in the UK since the 80s, so more than half of their lives have been spent here. My mum visits back home often, but I know that when she’s there, she misses her friends here since most of them are now in the UK. She hardly has any friends back home. My parents, especially my mum, have adapted to life in the UK so much that I don’t think she even realizes how acclimatized she’s become.
yeah -- that's so true. My parents won't move back full-time because my brother has three kids aged 5-14, and they want to be close to them (understandably). My dad always says they'll spend their golden years stateside for the grandkids and for adequate healthcare, which I get, but it makes me a bit sad for them. I feel torn between many worlds, and I went stateside young!
I relate this! It’s exactly the same with the people of Guyana (ha, so many confuse my country’s name for Ghana). I have witnessed the longings, hopes, the disappointment upon returning, the women preferring to live abroad, the men going home. And the adult children worrying about caring for the aged parents.
Such an interesting read!
Just curious, the pictures of all those mansions, did you take them?
When you speak to your mom, what does she tell you about her hopes...does she plan to return back to Ghana or likely stay in the UK?
Hi Istiaq
Thanks for reading.
No, I didn’t take these pictures, I found them online. However, I personally know where these properties are located and have visited a few of them when I worked in relocation during my years living in Ghana. They’ve been sitting empty for years.
As for my mum, she always talks about wanting to go back to Ghana, but she’s dragging her feet a bit. Now she says she wants to stay close to her grandchildren, who are all young and living in the UK, so I guess she’ll be here for a while
Having gotten the opportunity to stay in one of these mansions, I never knew the stories behind them. I knew when we arrived to our destination a few years ago, i fell in love with the home we stayed in. A whole new perspective has been brought because i was definitely in the mind of moving to Ghana and getting a home like it lol but i have a newfound appreciation! Thank you for sharing! I had no idea!
When I tell you I felt this one in my bones. Last summer my godparents finished building their mansion in the Philippines. My mom and aunts and uncles visited the mansion for Christmas and reveled at its beauty. No one’s in it right now. I think of the loneliness of all that elegance. There’s also the question of infrastructure for us: do we call it haven if it exists in a dictatorship? There’s so many layers to it.
That image of your godparents beautiful mansion sitting empty really hits home, the contrast between all that elegance and the loneliness it holds is something I’ve seen in so many homes in Ghana.
And you’re so right about the layers. It’s not just about having a place to return to, but also the political and social landscape surrounding it. How do you find solace in a space when the very country it’s in is unstable or oppressive.
I was wondering do the men stay in their home country long because they have other families/wives?
You’d be surprised how common this is, but I believe there’s a deeper reason behind it.
Speaking from the perspective of Africans who migrate to the U.K., many are treated as second-class citizens. It can be especially tough for Black African immigrant men, who often find themselves doing menial jobs despite their qualifications. Coming from a place where they are highly respected, simply for being men, this shift can be difficult.
I think a lot of them go back home and stay longer than the women because they feel seen and respected in a way they don’t always experience here. Maybe i should write a piece on this aswell as i have seen this a lot when i was growing up with my uncles and even my own father.
My mother-in-law, who is Haitian, has a house there that she was building for years, and now with the turmoil in the country, the house is just sitting there, empty. I hope the change will come when she is able to go back to Haiti to the house she worked so hard to build.
I'm so sorry to hear that your mother-in-law's house is just sitting there empty after all the hard work she put into it. It’s heartbreaking when a dream home, built with so much effort, remains out of reach because of the situation back home. I truly hope things improve in Haiti soon, and she gets the chance to return to the home she invested so much into.
Thank you for reading, Lynelle!
Yes, there are some stunning homes in Ghana. I was pleasantly surprised myself the first time I visited, as the media often portrays a very different image.
I’m incredibly proud of my parents and all their hard work. Even though they don’t live in Ghana full-time, having a home there has been a huge help. When I relocated a few years ago, I was able to stay rent-free for five years, which made the transition much easier. They also have the flexibility to travel between the UK and Ghana whenever they like, which has been a great benefit for them.
5 years rent free! What a dream. Did you live alone, if so, how was it living in a mansion by yourself?
Hi Helese
Yes I lived alone, but there was live in house help which is very common in Ghana, so I wasn't completely alone.