I have always loved hairdressing. I love the joy it brings, how beautiful hair looks once you’ve worked on it. It became more than just a passion; soon, it was a way for me to earn a living. When an opportunity came to move to South Africa to work as a hairdresser, I took it. I have been here, working hard, making women feel beautiful.

In 2022, I got a call from my sister. She said her pastor had an offer for me in Belgium. He told me there were many opportunities there, even beyond hairdressing. He said his elder could get me there. It sounded amazing, so I decided to go for it.

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Later, I called back to ask about the cost. I know how these things work. He said everything would come to a whopping Gh₵30,000. My heart sank when I heard the price. He quickly added, “That includes the ticket and accommodation.” I’m sure he heard the hesitation in my voice. I thought about it heavily. More opportunities, more money, the life I wanted, maybe even bringing family over. I started looking up places in Belgium online, the houses, the tall buildings, the languages, the weather. I was getting hyped. But I also thought about the ugly side. What if things went wrong? What if he was a scam? But how could an elder be a scam? I asked him anyway. I said, “What if something goes wrong?” He said, “100 percent sure, and we will even get a refund if anything goes wrong” and told me the process would take four to six months.

At first, he wanted Gh₵15,000 as an initial deposit. We pleaded and paid 10,000. We also paid another Gh₵4,000 on a different day for medical fees. My sister was in Ghana, so she was the one following up

One morning, while I was at work, my sister called. She said the man told her everything was successful, and that I had to come down to Ghana for my medicals and to prepare for travel. He said since it was a work offer, the visa wouldn’t take long after the medicals, and we would move soon.

I talked to the man myself. I told him, over and over, that I had gone to South Africa on a visit visa and had overstayed for three years. I warned him that I didn’t want to return to Ghana only to be shamed, only to realize it was all a big scam. I stayed on the phone as long as I could, repeating that if he wasn’t completely sure, I could just stay where I was and live my life quietly. But he was adamant. He promised me he was sure.

It didn’t end there. When I was coming to Ghana, I sent every proof I received from the airport to my sister. I asked her to forward it to him, so he would see I couldn’t go back if anything went wrong. He still insisted I should come.

I arrived at the end of October 2022. The first thing he asked for was his balance. I explained that because the trip was so sudden, I had only come with Gh₵12,000. He didn’t even look at me with pity. He took it all, and I was left with nothing, just hoping the visa would come through soon so we could pay the rest and go.

I went for the medicals together with some other people, about ten of us. After that, we waited. Three months later, there was still no news. Each day, my sister would call this man, and it was always one story after another. Months turned into a year, and then almost two. Nothing.

All this while, I have been perching with friends, moving from one place to another. I couldn’t move in with my sister because she is married and has her own family. I tried to find work in a hairdressing salon, a “work and pay” arrangement, but the man there tried to take advantage of me after just a few days. I left and went back to my sister’s place for a short while. Then I went back to my new normal, perching with friends. I moved in with another.

Honestly, I am going through so much because of this man. At one point, my sister pushed him hard and asked for a refund. Then he said that since he had allowed me to come to Ghana, he was now trying for somewhere else in Europe. He claimed it was a woman who had given him the Belgium offer, that she had scammed him, and that he had reported it to the police. He asked me to get a police report for him immediately. My sister did everything possible, and we managed to get the report for him. That Europe story was always just another tale.

Then, about eight months ago, he started talking about Dubai. We just kept quiet because the harm was already done, and I had nothing left. I accepted, thinking at least I could start life all over again. The way he was moving made me think he was finally doing something, but it turns out it was all one big lie.

For all this time, this man hasn’t been answering our calls or texts. My sister found out the truth from some other people who were also involved. Now we are asking for our money back, and this man is always deceiving us. He doesn’t even care that he has wasted my life.

I am in Kumasi. Two months ago, I got so triggered one Sunday that I went to his church in Lashibi, Accra to see him. He just kept pleading, saying the money was with one man, that after church he would bring it, and so on. We met that man, and they concluded that they would send my money to me. But till now, they don’t care. He isn’t even answering our calls. We involved his wife once, and that was the only time he answered, but even that led nowhere.

He is even willing for us to report him to the police. He says in his defense that the police will do nothing but warn us not to torment him or go to his house. He shamelessly reminded us that this will be our ordeal if we go. That they’ll only ask him how much he can afford to pay each month, and he can just decide to spoil the money by paying in tiny amounts. He said that’s what happened to someone else, so it could be us too. His words make it clear he thinks we have no one to help us, so we can’t do anything to him.

He took all my money when I returned and for God’s sake, I have nothing left, and for two years now, I have been moving from friend to friend, just trying to find a place to perch. I am completely stranded.

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My sister is the one who brought all this up, but she is going through a lot with her own personal issues. I don’t want to add to her pain. She only wanted the best for me. It just didn’t work out the way she thought it would.

We have already lived our lives with no family to help, and now this has happened too.

—CJ

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