46-year-old mother defies odds, works as cutler

Madam Millicent Asiwome Tsormana, a 46-year-old mother of three at Tayagagbor, a suburb of Keta in the Volta Region, has chosen to work as a cutler (sharpener), defying all the odds.

She encouraged the youth to believe in themselves and strive beyond the odds to achieve their goals.

Madam Tsormana said her determination to work as a cutler stemmed from the difficulty she faced during her youthful days, which made her strive to improve her lot through hard work, perseverance, and determination, regardless of all forms of stigmatization.

"I have been in this business for the past 16 years, and this is what helped me to take care of the educational needs of my three children to the highest level, it is not good to be idle," she told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Wednesday.

Madam Tsormana said it was her dream to be a fashion designer but after years of struggle, she decided to be a cutler, a trade she learned very fast, defying all the odds.

The challenges she faced were the acquisition of the expensive filling machine and spare parts, frequent power outages, and stigmatization, among other things.

"As a professional cutler for many years, I have gathered experience in sharpening vehicle and motorcycle brake pads, machetes, hoes, and others and this has given me hope,” she added.

"I named my shop 'Let Them Say' because many thought being a cutler is a job for only men, and many look down on me sometimes but they do not know how helpful this work has been to me all these years."

She said age did not matter in learning, “so the youth should be encouraged to engage in one or two ventures for a brighter future.”

Madam Tsormana appealed to philanthropists, individuals, corporate organizations, and the government to help her expand her work to train others.