November 23, 2025 • By Amagyei Anim • Category: Journey
The journey begins with a single, unforgettable moment; the first goodbye. The airport is never just an airport; it is a theatre of emotions. Tears at the gate, whispered promises, and the silence that says what words cannot. Most migrants carry that memory, for it is the first step into the so-called BORGA life.
The word Borga has roots that run deep. Born from Hamburg, where early Ghanaian migrants in Germany sent back money, goods, and dreams, the name spread across Ghana and beyond West Africa. Over time, Borga came to mean anyone who leaves home in search of opportunity, no matter the destination.
In this column, Borga will appear often. Not as a throwaway term, but as a living symbol of migration itself. To be called Borga is to be marked by distance; the pride of leaving, the duty to succeed, the struggle to belong, and the quiet fear of failing. And it all begins at that first goodbye.
In the coming weeks, alongside stories and issues shared by other migrants and curious non-migrants, look out for excerpts from my my upcoming book BORGA; all weaving together the many voices of migration.