Let’s end this begging trend

The plight of veterans in our creative industry has been an issue of concern to many for years now. On numerous occasions, there have been media reports of industry veterans seeking public support for their upkeep and various health related matters. 

It is a shame that after sacrificing most of their productive years giving their best to society, veterans in the film industry have nothing to fall back on and are reduced to begging. 

We at Showbiz believe this trend is unacceptable, thus the sooner structures are put in place to ensure the current crop of actors and actresses do not suffer the same fate, the better.  

The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) has shown the way forward with the creation of a welfare fund and has been mobilising funds via corporate sponsorship as well as internally-generated funds to provide support for aging musicians. 

Maybe, they already have such a plan in the pipeline but if they do not, the Ghana Actors Guild and Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG) may have to toe this line too.

We are aware that the welfare fund by itself will not automatically solve all the problems facing our aged movie stars but it is a step in the right direction. The subject of financial management will also have to be addressed. Many of our veteran actors failed to practice prudent financial responsibility at the height of their career. 

As institutions, the Actors Guild and FIPAG owe their members the responsibility of educating them on how to properly manage their finances. When empowered with the knowledge and knowhow to invest wisely, there are bound to be fewer instances of our veterans relying on hand-outs for their survival.