Gospel singer Joyce Blessing, born Joyce Akosua Twene, has shared the emotional impact of her parents’ divorce, revealing how it led to her dropping out of school and ultimately influenced her journey to success in music.
In an interview with Roselyn Felli on Joy Prime’s Changes, Blessing recalled the traumatic experience of growing up in a broken home, which affected her educational ambitions.
“It was a broken home because my mom and dad were not together at the moment to take care of me and there were a lot of things going on. I wanted to be a singer, a designer, a news anchor. I wanted to go to school, but I didn’t get the chance,” she revealed.
Joyce Blessing explained that due to her parents’ separation, she had to drop out of school during her junior high years.
“I had dreams of venturing into journalism, fashion, and music, but I had to drop out at the junior high school level due to my parents’ separation,” she said.
Faced with this sudden disruption, Blessing resorted to survival by taking on domestic work and street selling in Kumasi.
“I was selling all kinds of things including sachet water, the one we used to tie (ice water). Everything I could get to sell for the day to get something home, I did,” she shared.
Her entrepreneurial spirit was evident as she juggled different jobs to make ends meet.
“I’ve sold broom, gari, pear, cassava, plantain, alata soap, kerosene. I remember when I was in JSS 1, we had morning and afternoon sessions. When I have class in the morning, I would wake up early to go and help one kenkey vendor to sell before going to school. After school, I could go with my friends to a place to cut firewood to sell to food vendors,” she continued.
Despite these early challenges, Blessing’s determination to succeed never wavered.
The advent of technology provided a new avenue for her to pursue her dreams, particularly in music.
The Unbreakable hitmaker credits the internet with helping her improve her English and become more fluent, allowing her to express herself better and refine her skills.
“Nowadays, you can’t complain because there are a lot of ways to learn. You can go online or let even your kids help you to learn in terms of grammar so you can be able to express yourself wherever you go,” she advised.
