Africans are much better at survival, they have been at it for a very long time. The industrial revolution destroyed the survival instinct in northern Europe.I'm from a part of Africa where the life expectancy used to be 37 across the board (it's 62 now, mainly due to unlicensed HIV medication provided affordably to government health clinics). but its by way of saying it's a deprived area. but it was always possible to do or become whatever one wants to - if, and a major if it is, one put the effort in. I'm sorry to hear about your struggle, sincerely, but when I look at the opportunities European workers have I find it extremely difficult to accept that globalisation means they cannot find other ways to fulfil their potential. I'm afraid I just really don't buy it.
I wasn't talking about myself, I have always been mobile and reasonably well educated. I was talking mostly about the workers of the industrial north. The able ones got out when the factories closed and went to greener pastures. The under educated or the not so competent were stranded. Those are the ones that are difficult to get out of poverty.
The ones that moved have had mixed luck, some saw the job they moved to go the same way as the one they had lost! Most were able to be reconverted to different lines of work.