I once sold ice water, pushed trucks, and filled potholes to survive – Osebo recounts

Ghanaian fashion entrepreneur and socialite Richard Brown, popularly known as Osebo the Zaraman, has opened up about the struggles he endured before relocating to Italy in search of better opportunities.

According to Osebo, his journey to success was far from easy, as he engaged in several menial jobs to survive and raise capital for his future ambitions.

Speaking in an interview on 3Music on June 15, 2026, Osebo disclosed that he travelled to Italy with the goal of finding the resources needed to establish his own business in Ghana.

“I traveled to Italy to look for capital to start my own business in Ghana. I was a truck pusher before I travelled,” he said.

The fashion icon revealed that he began pushing trucks in Suhum in 1992 and took on various jobs to make ends meet.

“I started pushing trucks in 1992 in Suhum. I sold ice water and types of ice cream. Sometimes, I had to fill potholes on the street just to earn some money. I did all these, but people don’t really know this,” he stated.

Osebo further recounted an encounter with an elderly man that significantly impacted his life during those difficult years.

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According to him, the old man frequently sought his assistance in transporting cement bags, yet initially offered him no payment for his services.

“There was an old man who used to come to me almost every day. I was at the market one Monday when the old man came and asked me to escort him with some cement bags. I went to rent the wheelbarrow I used to carry the cement bags. The first and second time I helped him, he didn’t pay me, but I didn’t say anything to him,” he recounted.

He explained that despite receiving no reward, he continued helping the man out of respect for his age.

“Looking at his age, he was like my grandfather,” he shared.

Osebo said the turning point came when the elderly man entrusted him with money to exchange and later invited him to his home.

“The third time, he gave me some CEFA to go and change for him, and when I returned, he was nowhere to be found. A few days later, I met the man again, and I had to go and take the money I had changed for him,” he noted.

After proving his honesty, Osebo was invited to the man's residence, where he received an unexpected reward.

“I felt that day was supposed to be a payday since I saw money, but he still didn’t give me any money. He then gave me his address to visit him. When I got to his house, I was well fed, and he handed me a brown envelope filled with money. That money really helped in many ways,” he added.

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