Morisha Ransome is used to juggling many roles. She is a fashion designer, calypsonian, project manager, business consultant and events coordinator.
However, she considers her most important role to be raising her two sons, Hakeem and Zachary.
Well aware of the challenges as a single parent, Ransome is determined to shatter the stereotypes and debunk some long-held beliefs about women raising sons on their own.
She is quick to dismiss the notion that mothers cannot raise their sons to be gentlemen and that boys need to have a male figure in the home.
She said she and many other women have proven otherwise.
“We can raise our sons to be gentlemen—productively ambitious and respectful, kind, caring people but as some challenges confront us while raising them single-handedly, we must continuously work on ourselves, too, because it’s very rewarding when they do well,” she said.
Ransome is proud of her sons, Hakeem John, 24, a mechanic and 11-year-old Zachary, a young calypsonian.
She admitted that multiple revenue streams are needed to adequately provide for children but noted that it is also important to provide a positive role model as a responsible head of the household and to impart healthy values, including respect.
“It takes the strength of a woman to raise two sons on her own,” she said.
Ransome, who recently celebrated her 47th birthday, said she is excited about the new chapter and embracing what life has to offer.
Zach eagerly pointed out that it was “a new dawn for my beautiful queen, my super beautiful mummy, whom I love.”
Her birthday was just days apart from her sons’ milestones.
However, the celebrations were bitter-sweet, as Ransome also marked the anniversary of her mother’s passing. She said she had to be truly resilient for her boys,demonstrating emotional stability and grit.
Declaring that mothers are “very special and actually very strong,” Ransome said she spent time remembering the “unforgettable and irreplaceable” woman who raised her and felt protected and powerful as she had a strong sense of her late mother being with her “every step of the way.”
Ransome said her mother taught her to be resilient and instilled the strong values that she is now passing along to her sons, “My mother constantly told me that giving up is never an option, and perseverance is a must, win, lose or draw,” she said.
She offered advice to other woman raising their sons as single parents, “My sisters, let’s be strong and raise our sons well.”
