The Triumph of My Life

When one bears the name of a prominent biblical figure, it is not surprising that the person's greatest triumphs will arise from moments of difficult choices when faced with insurmountable odds. It is the same for Esther Kisaghu, a woman born and raised in an impoverished village in Kenya, who later found success in education. Her educationist father moved his family to the coastal town of Kilifi, when Esther was eleven. She later studied in the United States before returning to Kenya to begin a new life with her husband. Her life tragically changed when her husband, who had sworn to protect her, turned into her tormentor and abused her for years in the presence of their child. She eventually found refuge in United States where she had returned to study at Boston University School of Public Health. In addition, she volunteered in various domestic violence shelters in Massachusetts. God used these unfortunate events to motivate Esther towards her true calling in life. She returned to Africa, determined to dedicate the rest of her life in the fight against gender-based violence. She describes her experiences in detail in her newly published autobiography, The Triumph of My Life. Besides her uplifting story, Esther presents facts and statistics about gender-related violence in Kenya and ends with a ringing call to stop the epidemic in Africa and around the world. Just like the biblical Esther, she believes that God has chosen her to be the advocate for her people, abused women and children, to bring safety and freedom for all. It takes courage to be compassionate, and I had made the choice to give even to those who showed me no compassion. I had reached out and given another fellow human being a chance to begin searching for a violence-free life. -Author Esther Kisaghu