Its International Women's Day!

And my voice is going to be heard, at last...

So the countdown has finally begun! The day is drawing nigh. Its only a few days to our International Women's Day Victim No More event! Jean is excited okay! A little nervous of course, but I feel empowered and ready for this day. When Muzvare Betty Makoni told me about this day last year in October, I was like no way. I was kinda used to false promises you see and I had little faith, and boy I never thought she would actually do an event to support me. Me. Jean Gasho. It sounded too good to be true. But hey its really happening, Muzvare Betty is a woman of her word indeed. She is passionate about her work and I could never ask for a better mentor.  

Muzvare Betty Makoni

I have been kinda busy preparing for 1 March, please forgive me for the silence, but I thought my readers the keyboard warriors would like to hear from me. I thank God for the blog secretary Debbie Mackenzie who is now mostly in charge of this blog. She is God sent and I thank God for all her hard work. So back to 1 March, its International Women's Day launch. A day to celebrate women. International women's day has been running since 1911, and each year there is a theme. The theme for 2014 is inspiring change, celebrating social, political and economic achievements of women whilst focusing world attention on areas requiring further change. I feel honored as a woman to play a small part on this special time of the year. If my speaking out about Church abuse saved one little girl or just one woman from going through what I went through in the hands of Pastors and a Church leader, then I feel my purpose was achieved. I want to inspire change. I am going to speak with such a voice on the 1st of March that even a woman in the remotest part of Africa will hear that there is a woman called Jean somewhere in this world who said NO to Church abuse. God will perfect that which He started. This day is not just about me, its for every woman who has suffered in the hands of any so called Man of God. Its time for change! 

Lets talk 1 March Fashion, shall we! 

Okay so I am kinda like a fashion freak. Fashion and style is at the heart of who we are as women. Fashion identifies us with our passions, and I sure wanted to bring this spirit into the 1 March event. When Muzvare Betty asked me what my favourite colour was, I visualised the event. Orange is not just my favorite color, orange is me. It defines me. I don't know why I love this color, but I have always been drawn to it ever since I was a child. Orange is colour of passion, even my living room is orange. I also  happen to wear a lot of orange. Muzvare Betty keeps talking about the venue for 1 March being a place of healing and moving on. Orange is actually one of the primary healing colors. Orange is optimistic. With its enthusiasm for life, the color orange relates to adventure, risk taking, inspiring physical confidence, competition and independence. Those inspired by orange are always on the go. Its a color that aids the assimilation of new ideas and frees the spirit of its limitations, giving us the freedom to be ourselves. What am I saying, for me orange is the ultimate fashion accessory. Just wearing this vibrant bold color is stimulating to me both mentally and physically. I am having my dress tailor made for 1 March, I want my designer to bring out the ultimate orange in me! For that reason the theme colors for this event are orange, brown and black. I hope we will all be rocking our orange swagga on 1 March in Essex. Brown is for the strong woman of color, and black is for black beauty and elegance, but the main color remains vibrant orange. 

 Some ideas on how to rock orange on 1 March...

 Orange always looks radiant on brown skin, here is one of my favorite natural icons Lira at the BET awards in tangerine orange...

 Some simple yet sophisticated orange designs  from Johari Designs

And don't we just love Jennifer Hudson especially in orange...

In Agape I was well known for wearing orange, I guess that was always the fighter in me...

Its International Women's Day, ladies lets wear orange for positive change! Oh and men are very welcome to the event too, they may not wanna wear orange, but black or brown would look good and complement the bright orange! Its an event for empowering women to say no to church abuse but men are also needed as the fear and stigma of spiritual and sexual abuse is instilled in women by men who have no awareness of spiritual related sexual abuse.  Its time for change for both men and women! 

The book signing

Its been pretty amazing. I am an author in my own right at last. I will be officially launching and signing my book Napolia on 1 March. Its taken me this long and for this reason this is my empowerment as a woman at its best. Signing my book on International Womens Day Launch. When you realize the sky is the limit and no man can ever take away the gift that is in you, not even a man of God, then you could not be more empowered as a woman. What God has blessed no man can curse. I launched my official website last week www.jeangasho.com  and  the book is now on Amazon and God is doing amazing things indeed. 

The Interview of the week

So Muzvare Betty Makoni interviewed a number of women in preparation for 1 March and I happened to be one of them. The interview is now available on Nehanda Radio please listen t it and be inspired. I couldn't believe it when I listened to the interview myself, some really mind boggling truths about the severity of church abuse in Agape. 

So dear readers, keyboard warriors, this is how far we have come, I hope to see you all on 1 March, its going to be a day like no other, come and be inspired. My family is also going to be there, and my dearest friends who have stood by me through these trying times will be supporting me. I am Jean, and I am a VICTIM NO MORE, till I see you on 1 March! Be blessed. 

One of my fashion inspirations for 1 March, this is not just a day for healing, its a day to rise up as confident stylish women of color....we are beautiful 

Looking forward to International Women's Day

 

I really hope to see you there....

 

 

 

Happy New Year Dear Readers! Its 2014. A new year. A new beginning. Its time for me to move on. 2013 was a painful year for me. It was a valley of the shadow of death. Like Job said, what I dreaded the most happened to me. My marriage was broken by a man I trusted. I lost my husband to Walter Masocha. My children lost their father to Agape. My children's father has not bothered to see them in 6 months. 2013 was a year of pain. I was tortured and bullied by Patience Musuka, Gertrude Musuka Mburayi, Julius Gayakaya, Joy Maxwebo and a number of Agape leaders. I was used by Sandra Masocha Chihuri to do her university work and I was humiliated in front of the entire church when an ambulance was called in a bid to section me. I was stripped off my dignity as a  mother and as a woman. In Agape For All Nations Ministries international I was denied basic human rights under the Human Rights Act. I was labelled insane when I wasn't. My in-laws wanted my children put in foster care. I became homeless and ended up living in a women's refuge. 2013 was one of the worst years of my life.

 

 

When I was in prayer on 1 January 2014, the Lord revealed to me this scripture, Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, Isaiah 43:18-19. This year, I am moving forward and I will never look back again. I am now focusing on my three children. I want to give them the best future especially in education, and I believe  my children will eat the fat of this land. I have already seen the goodness of the Lord upon  my children, they now eat until they are full. My barns now run over. My oil is overflowing. They now wear the best of the best. I dress them with the finest clothes (silk and purple if it were biblical times) and bathe them in the  most luxuries of creams.  I am sure if Shingi bumps into his children today, he would not recognise them. My boys are turning into fine young princes, and my beautiful daughter is the fairest of them all. My children suffered in 2013, they will not be victims of Domestic and Spiritual Abuse. I will prove Getrude Musuka wrong, she called me an unfit mother, wanted my kids in care, but one day when my children are all grown up, and they are somebodies, Getrude will live to regret how she treated my children.

 

Ok so I'm really excited about 1st of March. Its International Women's Day. I thank God for my mentor Muzvare Betty Makoni, as a woman of substance, when she makes a promise, she keeps her word. I hope you are all ready to come and support me on International women's Day in a lovely village in Essex. I have a feeling that its going to be a special event, and I cant wait to meet the director of ceremony a beautiful Nigerian woman of substance Princess 'Deun of BEN TV and the other women of virtue who will be guest speakers. Please book your tickets in advance, seats are limited! Orange and brown are my favourite colours, though not a must, I really hope you can dress in those colours   as they mean a lot to me. Elegant black is also appreciated. God bless you and see you there.

 

I am looking forward to working together with Muzvare Betty Makoni. I believe in life we have to work together at times for a greater cause. You don't have to be a one man gig all the time. Great people work as a team. As for me starting up my own charity to help abused women, I am already working on that and in the fullness of time God will establish it. There is a time for everything. Right now I am working on my books and other things like rebuilding my life and trying to settle my children in an new non abusive environment. When things settle down and I am more established, I will set up a charity for a great cause of helping victims of domestic and spiritual abuse, I think I already wrote about this months back when I started this blog.  In the mean time I want to  work with great women of God like Muzvare Betty Makoni and Nigerain TV host Princess 'Deun Adedoyin-Solarin.

 

That said I am delighted to hear that two savants of God I really admired, Envoy Elijah and  Evangelist Caroline  have decided to leave the Agape Cult. I wish you all the best Caroline and Elijah. Stay strong in the Lord and know that there is life after Agape, God will see you through.

 

Oh I just wanted to say, I have totally healed from the breakdown of my marriage to Shingi. My heart was broken, I cried and God healed me. He restored my peace and happiness, and I can say weeping may endure for a night, but joy sure comes in the morning. I have moved on. Like Adele sang never mind I will find someone like you. Well I will change Adele's lyrics and say Never mind, I will find someone better than you, if I haven't  already....hint hint. I honestly wish you all the best in future Shingi, with whomever Dr Masocha chooses for you, be it one of his step daughters  or spiritual offsprings, I still wish you the best.

Its a new year, and its a new me! My six year old son took these photographs and I think he did a pretty good job for his age!

 

Oh and I was truly honoured by Muzvare Betty Makoni to be counted among her most inspirational women of colour.