At the point where I signed up for the Alabastron Renewing Self programme, I was going through a lot in my life. I could not explain it to anyone not even to myself, why I was extremely bitter. I was a very sad person on the inside yet all smiles on the outside and I had perfected this art such that nobody would ever imagine/suspect that I had any issues at all.

I always felt unloved, not confident, rejected, unworthy and as if I was on my own in this world. I had convinced myself that nobody loved me enough to stand by me. I experienced a lot of emptiness and great fear in my life. As much as all these feelings were eating me up; I always pretended that I was doing well and that I was indeed very happy.

This would only work for as long as I could put up the show and eventually I could just lose it by snapping at people and breaking down. I could never put a finger on exactly what was eating me up. I also had the tendency, and it gave me a high to solve other people's problems by giving them justifiable solutions only as a cover up for my struggle. [...]

  I consider Sandra a charming girl. During my interaction with her, I experienced a lot of fresh energy, enthusiasm about life and a cool fine breath in her way of expressing self. I must also say she comes out to me as courageous and almost daring. Here is my brief interview with her. - (Coach Beatrice)

How did you get to know about Alabastron?

  Through MY UNSPOKEN, reading ALL the stories in the website and from Dr. Amakove Wala who recommended it.

What did you know it was all about?

  I knew it was about women letting out their issues and dealing with them

At the point where you made the decision to enrol, what specifically was happening in your life that you wanted to deal with?

• I had parted ways with my fiancée and although I was relieved and at peace I had not dealt with the situation. The emotional and physical abuse I had gone through affected my self esteem and left a void in me.
• I also had new born twin boys and ...

When I signed up to do the Revamp confidence Program at Alabastron, I was going through season after season of self doubt and feeling like a fake. I was feeling like I could not achieve certain dreams in my life because of weaknesses I had in my life, and weaknesses that people around me would keep on highlighting, pin pointing and persecuting me about.
This had made me become very defensive and my default style of communication and self expression was passive-aggressiveness. At the same time, I was increasingly feeling like there are certain ventures like business, certain job descriptions positions in my career life and public speaking that were not for me. [...]

I am a season 12 Renewing Self Alumnus. At the time I was going through a period where I disliked my life and everything about it. Nothing seemed to be working in my life (job/relationship/family). I was busy trying hard to fix everyone's issues and it was taking a toll on me. I was depressed and spent the better part of my Sunday afternoons (after church) crying. Even God wasn't working for me. Nothing was. I knew something was wrong with me and I was desperate to fix it. I wanted to smile again. I wanted to feel alive again.

My cousin Irene who had already gone through the renewing self journey introduced me to it and promised me it was the 'fix' I needed in my life. [...]

Those of us who have read the book, Hinds Feet to High Places, by Hannah Hunnard may remember what happened to Much Afraid at the end of her journey. She reached out to her family of the Fearings who lived in the Valley of Humiliation, in the village called Much Trembling.

Women in Africa are known to genuinely reach out to each other in need and indeed. We asked one, Nkirote, who did Alabastron Sn9 in 2011, and has tirelessly brought ladies to the Alabastron classes to give us tips on how she does it, so that we could probably borrow some. This is what she had to say.