Video: Couple Narrate How They Went from Paying $800 for Rent in US to Paying Nothing in Ethiopia
- An African American couple made a daring decision to leave behind their lives in the United States and relocate to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with their family
- In an interview, the couple recounted how they struggled with rising costs, burnout, and environmental concerns in Atlanta
- From paying $800 (over N1 million) on rent in America, the couple now pay nothing for their massive house in Ethiopia and explained why this is so
While many Africans are desperate to relocate to the United States for greener pastures, an African-American couple, Ian and Jocelyn Minerve, left America with their three children to start life afresh in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The couple, who are teachers and also YouTubers, opened up about their bold relocation decision in an interview they uploaded on their YouTube channel.
Source: Youtube
Why African-American On her part left US for Ethiopia
According to Ian, the husband, he worked a lot in the US and barely had time for himself or his family. Despite the number of jobs he did, they were still living from pay cheque to pay cheque.
"When I used to live in the States, I worked a lot. I was what you would call a workaholic. I just felt like I didn't have time to do anything. I had, most of the time a job, sometimes two, three jobs.
"By the time I got home, I was just wiped out or getting cliff notes from my wife on how the kids were doing, how she was doing, cos I was just working so much and I was so fixated with the next thing to make more money. And I think, it consumed me."
Ian, whose parents are from Trinidad and Tobago, grew up in California and New York, and he attended Bishop Laughlin High School before going to Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he met his wife.
It took a trip to Tulum, Mexico, for Ian's mind to be opened up to living abroad, and the icing on the cake was his meeting with an Ethiopian school recruiter, which helped him and his wife make up their minds to relocate.
On her part, Ian's wife, Jocelyn, said she feels safer in Ethiopia compared to her neighbourhood in Atlanta, where shady dealings often went down.
Jocelyn, who grew up in Long Beach, California, and attended Spelman College in Atlanta, said in America she was literally living to work and didn't feel completely at peace, as they barely had enough savings after taxes.
"Honestly, I just feel more safe here outside of like money, outside of work. I'm working to live, not living to work. Even work aside, the peace that you feel here, the safety that you feel here.
"Being black on this continent is totally different. The experience you experience as a black person in Africa is amazing. So, I love that."
Jocelyn, raised in a predominantly black neighbourhood, noted that she never planned to live in Africa until she attended a teaching fair and met an American woman working in Ethiopia.
And her meeting with the woman was the inspiration she needed. The couple live in a massive house in Ethiopia with their three children and do not pay rent.
"We don't have to pay for our housing. Our job pays for our housing," Jocelyn said.
She said they can save 4k dollars in Ethiopia, unlike in the US, where they pay $800 (over N1 million) on rent.
In the interview video shared on their Webnation Africa channel, Jocelyn gave netizens a tour of their big house, showing the pantry, her children's rooms, their living room, playroom and others.
Source: Youtube
Watch the couple's video below:
Reactions trail couple's relocation to Ethiopia
Legit.ng has compiled some reactions to the couple's story below:
@RayalWorldConz said:
"This is doing nothing but motivating me to move from America to visit and possibly live in Ethiopia. Beautiful couple Mashallah."
@Nomolies2025 said:
"As an Ethiopian living in the US and planning to go back on 2026. Love the Minerves and everything they represent, been watching them since their move to Ethiopia! You all look so happy and at Peace!"
@amarewosenyelesh4456 said:
"Welcome back home🇪🇹🇪🇹 I wish you happiness, success, prosperity in Ethiopia, I am from Ethiopia originally.. I left Ethiopia, when I was 14 to USA during the Civil War. But recently, I got back visit Ethiopia,… I follow in love."
@CMills8674 said:
"She got me when she said that their housing and health care is covered, and when she said their monthly expenses are $1200 a month…what! We spend $1200 a month just for food, and we don’t eat out often. Change is coming!"
@michaeltaye9576 said:
"I love how she said at the end they’re not humble about their history. The reason they’re not humble about their history is because they’ve seen how others were degraded and stripped away of everything including history and sense of self worth. They’re not about to let that happen to them."
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a couple who lived in the United States for 35 years had relocated to Nigeria only to run back abroad.
Couple leave US, relocate to Africa
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a couple had quit their jobs in America and relocated to Africa to work as farmers.
The duo worked at Oppenheimer & Company and gathered a lot of finance and data analytics knowledge.
However, the couple embraced a simpler lifestyle, focusing on sustainable farming and community engagement back home. The couple are the founders of Carpri Dorper Farm Limited in Kasuku, Nyandarua County.
Source: Legit.ng
