Acting Couldn’t Pay My Bills – Kyeiwaa

Veteran Ghanaian actress Rose Mensah, popularly known as Kyeiwaa, has opened up about the financial difficulties that pushed her to leave Ghana for the United States in search of better opportunities.

The actress said despite gaining fame through her roles in Ghanaian movies and having her films regularly shown on television, her acting career did not provide enough income to meet her financial needs.

In a social media post, Kyeiwaa explained that the situation became emotionally difficult, leaving her worried about her future and the possibility of falling into depression if she remained without a source of income.

“I realised that if I don’t find something to do or somewhere to be, l will just be miserable. I might even die because of the misery and pain, and nobody will understand what I am going through,” she said.

She noted that she had never been comfortable sitting at home without work and was willing to accept any available opportunity rather than remain financially stranded.

“Wherever there is work, I always go in for it because I know I don’t like being stranded. I will do whatever it takes to work,” she added.

Recalling an experience that deeply affected her, the actress said she once boarded a commercial vehicle, popularly known as a trotro, at a time when her movies were still being shown on television.

She said some passengers who recognised her questioned why a popular actress was using public transport and struggling to find a seat like other commuters.

“When everybody saw me, they were asking how an actress could be taking trotro and fighting for space in a public vehicle. They felt that because I was an actress, I wasn’t supposed to be doing that. When I got home, I was very sad,” she recalled.

The experience, she said, made her reconsider her situation and look beyond Ghana for opportunities to improve her living conditions.

Determined to survive, Kyeiwaa said she was prepared to take up jobs that people might consider difficult or unsuitable for someone in her position.

“That was how I thought about travelling outside the country to look for greener pastures. I thought that even if I had to carry salt or do any other work, I would do it because I needed to survive,” she said.

However, her decision to accept different jobs abroad later attracted criticism after videos and reports showing her carrying salt and washing chicken coops became public.

She said some people chose to ridicule her because of her status as an actress instead of recognising her efforts to earn an honest living.

“At the end of the week, I was getting something from the work I was doing, but people didn’t see that side. They rather focused on the fact that I was an actress and questioned why I was doing those jobs. They said all sorts of things to embarrass and disgrace me online,” she said.

Kyeiwaa explained that she initially ignored the comments but decided to speak out to help the public understand the reasons behind her decision.

“If I were in Ghana working and making enough money for myself, I wouldn’t have been doing all those things abroad. I am not the only person going through difficulties. People should understand that I was trying to help myself,” she added.

The actress has since appealed to the public to stop judging people who take up different jobs to earn a living, regardless of their profession or social status.

She stressed that fame does not guarantee financial security and urged people to respect those who are willing to work hard to improve their circumstances rather than make them feel ashamed of their struggles.