What do you do when things go horribly wrong; when the actions of somebody else changes the course of your life? We did a story two years ago about a respectable banker named Teresa Njoroge who found herself wrongfully imprisoned for a fraudulent transaction she unknowingly handled on the job. It’s one thing to be in trouble as a result of your own actions, but to be accused of something you are oblivious to is quite another.
“I lost my job in a very shameful manner. So much shame and embarrassment covered that entire period and it was such a shift from the from Kenyan corporate world, from a high-end career banker to now being within the criminal justice system, going to court, paying bail, dealing with lawyers, no job…it was a very difficult shift; especially knowing very well that this is something that I had not done.”
Teresa Njoroge
For more than two years Teresa fought to clear her name, but it was no use. She was eventually imprisoned. Her daughter was just three months old.
While in prison, Teresa experienced the horrendous conditions women faced behind bars. Most were mothers and breadwinners, their imprisonment meant their children had been left to the streets. Teresa decided she was going to do something to help
Today, Teresa runs Clean Start, an organization that helps women rebuild their lives after imprisonment so they can begin to contribute towards society and enrich their own lives.
My takeaways from Teresa’s story are:
- Teresa had to be placed in the environment she was meant to serve.
I’ve often wrestled with God about some of the painful experiences I have endured. In fact, when I founded The Weight She Carries, my marriage was falling apart and I was still processing the loss of a pregnancy. A year later, I lost another pregnancy. What followed were years of turmoil. Things got so bad that I ended up moving to my parent’s home with my two children for over a year. But I have come to realize that my most painful moments are what allow me to relate to other women’s pain and tell their stories well. Teresa can serve women who have been incarcerated effectively because she once lived that reality. She knows exactly what they need. - No matter what happens, stay the course and maintain your integrity. God will restore your reputation.
Teresa could have settled for an option that would have solved her problem and spared her jail time, but it would have been the wrong thing to do. In the end, she was eventually cleared of all charges and even compensated by the government of Kenya for wrongful conviction. What a full circle moment.
“My advice to any woman out there who is caught up in a shameful situation – in a situation where they’re truly between a rock and a very hard place – when you’ve gotten to the lowest level of your bottom, look up,” she said. “Gather the little strength that you can get within you, and all you need to do is make one step forward, another step forward, and then another. It’s those little steps forward that make all the difference.”
Read her riveting story below and tell us what your takeaways are!
Vimbai E. is a content marketer, ghostwriter, and the founder of The Weight She Carries. With hundreds of articles and stories publishing online, in print and for broadcast, her love of language and storytelling shines through every piece of writing that bears her name.