Fulfilling motherhood at all cost – A roasted plantain, yam seller’s dream

“God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers”-Rudyard Kipling, English Journalist, novelist.

Motherhood refers to unique women who defy all odds to ensure that they cater for their families; the struggle is compounded for single mothers who strive to raise their children or wards into responsible adults.

On the occasion of Mothers’ Day, 51-year-old Madam Comfort Asare revealled how she has been managing her roasting business and her determination to have all her desires, hopes, and wishes fully and completely satisfied.

For the past 15 years, Madam Asare, popularly known as Sister Ataa, a single mother, has made plantain and yam roasting a full time venture to raise her family. Before then, she was selling tea bread within the Kwame Nkrumah Circle now Kwame Nkrumah Interchange.

She has raised her son, who completed University of Cape Coast few years ago with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, from the proceeds of her plantain business.

Things were going well for her after her son had completed school and she had already purchased a piece of land and was preparing to put up a structure, suddenly within a year, she lost her parents and three months later her twin sister also died of breast cancer.

One afternoon, while roasting her plantain and yam, Madam Asare recounted that she received a phone call of her sister’s death and her life has never been the same.

“My problems were compounded, after the death of my sister. It got worse after her husband abandoned their two children. I have had to adopt and cater for them; the elder, a girl, unfortunately got pregnant and had to drop out of Senior High School and the male child is in primary four.”

“Catering for the two children (Christiana Donkor and Sampson Asare) and a grandson (Adom Nyame) is “no joke”. Their feeding and hospital bills, among others, had a toll on me,” she said with tears rolling down her cheeks.

Madam Comfort Asare sets off for Agbogbloshie market everyday at 4:00 am to buy plantain or yam to roast and sell them.

She prays for divine providence to ease the burden on her, as she is bent on working hard to ensure that all her three children attain their goals in life, which she described as “a fulfilment in life”.

When asked if she intends to stop the business at some point, Madam Asare said, “I pray for good health to work to provide for my children.”

Madam Comfort Asare, who hails from Akyem Oda Kotokuom in the Eastern Region of Ghana, has entreated women and, indeed, mothers not to give up but continue to make sacrifices for their children’s future.

She said, “I know it is not easy but let us continue to do more for our wards, we are the real heros and our children and the world is watching, we must not fail them; at the peril of our life, we must make sure they (wards) are at comfort, so that they do not fall prey to social vices.”

When men abondon us (women) that should not be the end of our lives, rather we must be bold to face life with the various challenges that comes with it and pray and work hard to overcome them, Madam Comfort Asare stressed.

By Portia Hutton-Mills