Every year, family members send hundreds of billions of dollars back to their home countries from abroad. This direct flow of money exceeds levels of global development aid. For nations like Ghana in West Africa, it’s a huge economic factor.

Linda lives in Ghana and is working to build a future for herself. But even with a good education, that’s no easy matter in West Africa. Jobs are scarce, while rents and the cost of living in the capital, Accra, are horrendous. Linda gets support from family members living in Germany. Many people in the migrant diaspora regularly transfer money to their home countries, including Linda's parents. Hundreds of billions in "remittance” transfers are sent across the world every year, more than all development aid combined. These funds play a decisive economic role in countries like Ghana. The German development agency GIZ wants to use existing cashflows to create new jobs in Africa, and Linda may be among those to benefit. By getting involved in an initiative called WIDU, she may be able to become self-employed in Accra. This report takes place over two continents and tells the story of family members who remain close despite the distance between them, and who have each found a home in their own way.