Who we are
SpeakOutSistas is a Christian Ministry committed to empowering women from all cultural backgrounds to find their voice and overcome past trauma. Our goal is to establish a nurturing and secure environment where women can experience empowerment and liberation from the burdens of their past through faith-based guidance.
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We serve as a beacon of hope for women who have endured various forms of abuse, including those that may not leave visible scars. You no longer need to endure your pain in silence—reclaim your voice and Speak Out. We invite you to join us in our mission to provide support and encouragement to one another through our shared faith, empowerment, and love.
Word from the Founder
"Many women within the ethnic communities have endured the pain of abuse and have faced pressure to remain silent, often experiencing feelings of inadequacy while striving to meet unrealistic expectations.
Our voices have been suppressed by the notion that our words hold little significance, leading us to suffer in silence to avoid bringing shame upon our families. The adversary exploits these insecurities, leveraging relationships to perpetuate these harmful beliefs.
However, my dear sisters, I want to assure you today that in the eyes of God, you are more than enough. It is time to reclaim your voice and speak out. It is time to embrace the truth of your inherent worth."
My Story
My childhood changed at the age of six. This is the first memory I have of being sexually abused. I was put in the care of a trusted family member for the day. I had asked for an apple but was told that I could only have it if I would do one thing which was to carry out a sexual act on him. At six I did not understand what was being asked of me, I just wanted an apple. I remember the taste and the smell and said as much to my abuser. He stopped and gave me the apple but not before I was sworn to keep the incident a secret.
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Whilst I was never abused again by this relative, it began a cycle of abuse by other relatives. Over the next nine years I endured sexual abuse more times than I could count or remember. There was one in particular that did the most damage. At the age of eight I did speak out; however, I was not believed. I was labelled an attention seeker and an exhibitionist. This is when the mental abuse, beatings and corporal punishments began. The years where I should have been enjoying life were nothing but a fight for survival. I was just not safe at all.
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At the age of fifteen I had escaped my sexual abusers, but physical and mental abuse remained. My breaking point happened when I was sixteen, my mental health had taken its toll. This was the first time I tried to take my life. I was simply exhausted; I couldn’t see any point in my existence. I just wanted out and by the age of twenty I made two more attempts to take my life.
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It is only by the grace of the Lord Almighty that I am here today to tell you my story. I am now a happily married woman and a mother of two handsome young men. The road has not been an easy one at all.
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When we are weighed down by our trauma, we need to remember these things: God sees, God bears our shame and redeems, God’s justice will prevail and God trades ashes for beauty.
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Andrea Cordery
Founder & Director
Isaiah 61: 1-4
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.