Veteran actress Rose Mensah, widely recognised as Kyeiwaa, has opened up about the financial difficulties that influenced her decision to relocate from Ghana to the United States.
Kyeiwaa said she reached a point where the income from her acting career could no longer adequately support her, despite being a familiar face in Ghanaian movies and having her productions regularly featured on television.
She explained that remaining in Ghana without a dependable source of income was taking a toll on her well-being, making it necessary to find alternative work rather than remain at home worrying about her circumstances.
“I realised that if I don’t find something to do or somewhere to be, I will just be miserable. I might even die because of the misery and pain, and nobody will understand what I am going through,” Kyeiwaa stated.
The actress stressed that she has always preferred working and earning something for herself rather than depending on others. She added that her willingness to accept different jobs came from her determination not to become 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 said.
Kyeiwaa further disclosed that an encounter during a trotro journey left her particularly unhappy and exposed the reality of her financial situation.
She recalled boarding a commercial vehicle at a time when her movies were still being shown on television. Some passengers recognised her and expressed surprise that an actress of her standing was travelling on public transport and struggling to secure space in the vehicle.
Their reaction, she said, made her realise how differently people perceived the lives of entertainers compared to the financial realities they sometimes faced.
“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 incident contributed to her decision to explore opportunities beyond Ghana, particularly in the United States, where she hoped to find work that would improve her financial circumstances.
She said she had no reservations about taking up physically demanding jobs, explaining that earning money to sustain herself was more important than protecting the public image associated with her acting career.
“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 revealed.
However, her decision to work in different fields abroad became a subject of public discussion after videos and reports showed her carrying salt and washing chicken coops.
The actress said she was disappointed that some people chose to ridicule her instead of acknowledging her determination to earn a living. She noted that the criticism largely centred on why a recognised actress would undertake jobs that many considered beneath her status.
Kyeiwaa explained that the jobs provided her with an income, something she considered more important than the opinions of people who did not understand what she was going through.
“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.
Although she initially paid little attention to the remarks, she eventually decided to address the issue publicly to explain the circumstances 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,” the popular Ghanaian actress further stated.
The actress also called on Ghanaians to stop judging people based on the nature of their employment, arguing that no honest job should become a source of embarrassment.
She questioned why someone making an effort to earn money through hard work should attract ridicule simply because the job does not match their previous profession or public standing.
Kyeiwaa maintained that her move to the United States was not about abandoning her identity as an actress but finding a means to improve her living conditions.
She urged the public to understand that recognition in the entertainment industry does not automatically translate into financial stability, adding that people should be allowed to pursue opportunities without facing humiliation for the work they choose to do.
@glafinews “I Was Suffering While Acting” — Kumawood Actress Kyeiwaa Opens Up About Her Struggles in the Movie Industry. #kyeiwaa #trending #viral #fyp #glafinews ♬ original sound – GLAFINews
