A balm for the wounded
KASHINA MCLEAN was sexually abused as a child for eight straight years by family members who should have been her protectors.
Getting pregnant in her teens, it was a struggle living from one day to the next. She ended up being a drug addict, tried committing suicide thrice, and ended up engaging in lesbianism because she was convinced that men were no good. After struggling with low self-esteem, lack of confidence, shame, guilt and anger, it all ended when she found Jesus and her life was changed.
That started her on a positive path that saw her returning to school to get her first degree in nursing, which she got with honours. Now married for over eight years to the Reverend Edgar McLean, Kashina, a mother of three, a minister of the gospel, and an international author, is driven to help other broken women heal through her organisation, Scars That Speak Out Loud (STSOL).
She told Family and Religion that Scars That Speak Out Loud, a faith-based organisation, was founded upon Christian principles which provide a dynamic array of life coaching, empowerment and personal development services for women who are tired of feeling broken and unworthy because of past abuse and are ready to advance beyond simply surviving.
ORGANISATION’S GOAL
“The goal of the organisation is to help women develop in every aspect of their lives, through life coaching, training and mentorship, in order to reflect the ideal woman, according to scripture. The programmes are geared towards challenging clients to embrace their worth and find their Godgiven identity, to gain clarity about their purpose and take steps towards a successful future, as well as to become equipped with tools that will enable them to not only transform their own lives but that of others,” said McLean.
“I was inspired to write about my story, and during the course of my writing, I began to look at statistics that were available. It was out of this journey that STSOL was birthed in October 2017, as I saw the need to reach these women on a larger scale,” she informed.
McLean said the impact the organisation has been making on lives of the women she has interacted with brings for her many rewarding moments.
“When I see a woman who was once defeated in every area of her life become empowered to make decisions that will cause her to gain respect, build selfesteem and impact others around her, I know I have done my job well. The most rewarding thing so far is to see my client give her life to Jesus, enrol in university, work a 9-5 while building a business,” she said of the lives impacted.
McLean has since chronicled her life’s experiences in her book, When The Silence Speaks, which is available on Amazon.
Born in Kingston, she grew up in Mammee Bay, St Ann, and is a past student of Ocho Rios High School and The UWI School of Nursing.