About the Book
This book is born from a place where faith and life intersect, where the timeless stories of the Bible meet the pressing realities of our world today. The women in the Bible: prophetesses, queens, mothers, nurturers, warriors, witnesses, intercessors and even the broken and betrayed, have always intrigued me. Their stories are not just ancient accounts preserved in scripture, but living testimonies that echo in the daily struggles, hopes, resilience and triumphs of women i have encountered in my own path. As I reflect on my journey as a leader, a mother, a sister, friend and advocate in humanitarian and peacebuilding spaces, I find the courage of Deborah's wisdom in women leading fragile communities, Ruth's loyalty in daughters who choose solidarity over survival, Esther's intercession mirrored in women risking themselves for justice, Hannah's prayer and Mary's obedience reflected in the courage of young girls daring to claim their callings. From refugee camps in Dadaab to boardrooms shaping policy, from mothers sustaining dignity in scarcity, survivors of violence reclaiming their voices to young girls daring to dream of leadership, the stories of scripture breathe life into our present. Yet these stories are incomplete without the men whose choices shaped them, sometimes as allies, sometimes as adversaries. ... women, only for their opposition to become the backdrop for God's purposes. Eli mistook Hannah's prayers for drunkenness (1 Samuel 1:13-14), but later blessed her, becoming part of her testimony. Even in resistance, God wove redemption. Opposition became the backdrop against which women's faith and God's purposes shone brighter. And then, there were women who, swayed by their loyalty to men in power or by fear of losing their own position and influence, became stumbling blocks to their fellow women. We see echoes of this in the rivalry between Sarah and Hagar (Genesis 16; 21), ...
In leadership today, too, I have witnessed women dismiss or sabotage their sisters, not out of malice alone, but because patriarchal systems or rather the male-dominated systems in which they operate, have conditioned us to compete rather than collaborate. And yet, even here, God's vision always unfolds. What seems like betrayal often becomes the stage for unexpected vindication, with divine intention breaking through human frailty. Time reveals truth, and the very plots intended to diminish women often become stepping stones to greater purpose.
This book, "Daughters of Strength, Sons of Support: Women of the Bible, the Allies Who Lifted Them, and the Rivals Who Tried to Silence Them" and real-life encounters drawn from "A Life Shaped by Change, Nature, and Struggles", seeks to weave together these layered narratives. From Eve's faltering choices to Vashti's costly defiance, from Tamar's resilience to Pharaoh's daughter's act of deliverance, from Mary Magdalene's devotion to the unnamed women who were exploited, raped, or betrayed, the Bible offers a vast tapestry of women's lives, each marked by struggle, resistance, support, or rivalry. Their stories are not simply biblical lessons; they are mirrors of today's realities. It also acknowledges that both men and women, whether through support, resistance, or rivalry, play roles in shaping women's journeys. Ultimately, God's intention triumphs, reminding us that human failings cannot derail divine purposes. ..... My hope is that this book will inspire women to rise with courage and boldness, men to embrace humility as true allies, and all of us to recognize how God's purposes prevail even through failure, betrayal, or oppression. It is my prayer that the stories within these chapters will help us reclaim solidarity, celebrate allyship, and find redemption in the very places where human weakness sought to silence women. For in every resistance, rivalry, and act of support, God is at work: turning wounds into wisdom and setbacks into stepping stones for
