Jerry’s greatest strength is a hugely underestimated virtue. Cool, calm, collected.

There are no contours of any difficult life curved out on his face. Like stainless steel.

Just polished, shiny so you don’t even think it has been hammered and battered into a fine eating instrument.

And with a spectacle sitting abridge his nose; he has got the perfect mask underneath of which is a life of amazing struggles.

Jerry sold rice at “Eye Awurade” eatery for his guardian, Auntie. Hawked around with fried fish and ‘bofloat’ and at one time, tried lottery that won him enough to pay his school fees.

He has two things in common with the biblical character - Joseph.

The Jewish teenager wore a coat of many colours. Jerry has a coat of many talents.

He speaks eight local languages. And if you think you know many people who can do that. Tell them to write it - because Jerry here does.

Now beat that.

And he has done radio, online and flirted with TV. A well rounded talent sitting in a well rounded Multimedia company.

17-year old Jerry like Joseph has also survived – rape.  Jerry was ushered into a dark room by a much older lady who had been making advances at the rice seller.

But even before the woman could find time to undress, Jerry got the hint and sped off Joseph style.

He served rice –not free sex.

A rugged childhood

The experienced journalist dropped into an external network of aunties and several uncles in 1978. His father passed him off to one of his aunties in Accra after he just couldn’t settle into life at Fodzoku near Akuse.

But even before his father would pass him off to an Auntie, he passed on to Jerry, an addiction to listening to radio.

A boring pastime for an average kid; but not for Tsatro Mordy. Listening to the news was not really to be informed but to adore the art of news reading and presenting.

And so listening to the 6’clock, 12 noon and 6’oclock news was a fixture as non-negotiable as his breakfast, lunch and supper.

For at least 120 minutes every day this routine was unwittingly laying a foundation for journalism. He did know this when he chose to study General Arts at St. Johns Grammar. He did not know this when he won overall best Arts student in 1997.

His stay with a network of aunties and uncles suppressed Jerry’s true nature.  He walked a tight rope of living a life of conformity and non-complaint.

If he was given transport fare to school that could not take care of the return journey, Jerry would not utter a word. He took transport to the point where his money would allow and made the rest of the journey on foot to Pig Farm.  He remembers how he had to carry water very early in the morning - from Dome to Mile 7 to be used for cooking at 'Eye Awurade' eatry.And he would walk back to St Johns Grammar School.

His most memorable Christmas was after a driver knocked him down – and sped off on 24^th December. He nearly died before Christ was born – again.

Sometimes to take care of himself, he collected and carted rubbish from Expo 67’ Hotel.

Hunger and lack sometimes distilled tears from this hard nut and often led the teenager to question God.

How Jerry began Journalism.

At Peace FM, Jerry found peace after a rugged life of getting used to getting denied.

It was an internship and later full employment living on an allowance of 150,000 cedis – or 15ghc today – or three Ghc5 recharge cards.

But it was fine. It was freedom. It was no longer Jesus take the wheel in times of need. He felt in control. God gave him control on a Ghc15 allowance.

Employees build companies through their professional work. Jerry helped Peace FM with his mind- and yes - his hands.

Professionally and physically, he carried the mortar that built the company at its former office at Mille 7. He fetched water, dug out water and watered concrete blocks for no reward.

And in all this, he didn’t even know he was building a radio station. For the man who had come to expect nothing from nobody, he was just doing his work.

He was still studying at Manifold Institute and chasing the manager of Top Radio for an internship.

In 2001, Jerry got his first real job at Peace FM.

“It was great, the opportunity to work at Peace FM” but “my first story almost landed me in court”, he recalled.

At Peace FM he learnt new skills such as editing voices and improved his reading under the tutelage of Edward Faakye.

But his greatest satisfaction came from working as an Assistant Producer for the station’s morning show ‘Kokrokooo’ and the popular host Kwame Sefa Kayi.

Award-winning radio host, Kwame Sefa Kaayi

“Kwame had faith and belief in me” and “they gave me the opportunity and I learnt a lot”

After six years at Peace FM, Jerry Tsatro Mordy felt satisfied with helping Peace FM achieve great success.

He had titles to his name. It could ring a bell now. What more can a man have but a name that rings a bell?

A Multimedia bell.

Von poached Jerry at a time when the media giant had set up a local language radio station, Asempa and needed an experience producer for its flagship program, ‘Eko si sen’.

Managing a newsroom of 10 reporters, Jerry seized the opportunity to provide direction for the new newsroom. Editing scripts and giving out assignments, Jerry says he was not concerned by the uncomfortable work space he found himself in this new station with no name.

“You have mental picture of where you want to get to so you don’t focus on the small environment”, he said.

The big break for Asempa FM came when the NPP organised its  national congress in 2007.

Accreditation was easy for established radio stations. Jerry’s Asempa was considered too small. Like Joseph among his elder brothers, Asempa didn’t matter.

But Joseph had dreams. Asempa had dreams. Jerry had dreams. And with his coat of many talents, he sneaked in his team into the Great Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon.

“We stayed there at the Great Hall for 3 days without food or toiletries. We didn’t even bath because without accreditation going out means never coming back. Food was smuggled in for us.”

Under the most difficult working conditions, Jerry and his team pulled off a phenomenal coverage of the NPP congress to put Asempa FM on the map of recognizable forces in current affairs and political coverage.

Apparently, selling fishes and carting rubbish have their uses. It builds endurance, steels you up for three days without bathing just to cover a partisan congress against all odds.

Since then, Jerry has been moved around, working at Joy FM, Adom FM, managed Adomonline.com and currently Assistant Editor at myjoyonline.com

“You need to be humble, build relationships and guard your image” Jerry summarized his 14 years experience in the industries.

And “seize opportunities”, he added. Not many words from his many years. But wise words are not wordy.

When you enter myjoyonline.com, buried in the corner, you will find the ever unassuming man waiting to ‘seize the opportunity each day brings.'