Adona Foundation

13 April 2025: Becoming the Woman I Needed: A Story of Faith, Courage and Change

My name is Jace Ekeh, and my journey to founding Strong Women Network
was born from pain, silence, and ultimately, purpose.

I was raised in a Christian home by two lovebirds, where I grew up believing in
love, faith, and commitment. I married a Pastor at 21, hopeful for a life filled with
purpose and partnership. But soon, I found myself trapped in a cycle of emotional
and physical abuse. The reality that my marriage was not going to make it was a
hard pill to swallow, even though I was suffering.

In my darkest moments, I kept asking, “Where is the woman I can talk to without judgment, without fear?” And in that season of brokenness, the Lord whispered to
my heart:

“You are the woman you’re looking for.”

That moment changed everything. What began as a desperate cry for help became
a calling. I surrendered my pain to God, and from that surrender, He birthed a
vision: Strong Women Network—a safe, healing, and Spirit-led community
for women and girls.

At first, I called it “Weak Women” because that’s what I felt like. But God began
to renew my mind and identity. He reminded me of His word: “My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians
12:9). It was then I realised that true strength is not the absence of weakness but
the presence of God’s grace through it.

SWN started as a safe space for Christian women to draw strength from each other
and from God’s word, equipping them to face life’s challenges. But soon, we
began to ask the difficult questions:

Why do some women end up with abusive men?

Why do they choose to stay rather than leave?

Why is it called ambitious for a woman to want more?

And why is being ambitious a bad thing for a woman?

Who said a woman’s place is in the kitchen only?

Who made dreaming a man’s ability?

These questions led us to a deeper mission; to empower the younger generation of
girls to know better, think better of themselves, and make better choices.
As we grew, we all agreed that every woman deserves a world where she can
thrive. This became our mission, built upon seven core pillars:

-Education & Tech – Ensuring access to knowledge and digital skills.
-Skill Acquisition – Providing practical skills for economic empowerment.
-Safe Spaces – Creating communities where women can heal and grow.
-Spirituality – Grounding women in faith and inner strength.
-Health – Prioritising mental, physical, and reproductive well-being.
-Business & Finance – Equipping women with financial literacy and
entrepreneurship skills.
-Leadership – Raising strong women who lead with impact.

Today, Strong Women Network is more than a movement—it’s a commitment to
restoring the sanity, dignity, and destiny of women and girls through love, truth,
and grace.