Sono Leone is founder and CEO of Strong Women Talking, an Australian organisation that supports First Nations Women to reconnect with their communities and kinship networks through trauma-informed Healing Journey workshops. Sono reflects on Tearfund’s Lent theme and what it means for the work of Strong Women Talking.
Over the past year, as Strong Women Talking has continued to grow, I’ve had the privilege of journeying with Tearfund through the Lent Table theme, a season that invites us to slow down, reflect, and imagine a world where everyone has enough, where justice is lived out, and where every voice is truly heard. Lent calls us into a kind of wilderness, just as Jesus entered the wilderness in Luke 4. It’s a place of honesty and listening for God’s direction. These same themes lie at the heart of the work we do with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women impacted by domestic, sexual and family violence.
Strong Women Talking is, and has always been, a place of deep listening and healing, a space where women can share their stories, heal, rebuild confidence, and step forward into safety and wellbeing. What we offer goes far beyond support services. It is love in action, respect for all, safety always, gratitude, integrity in all we do and hope for the future. It is empowerment, held with respect and guided by community leadership. To me, this reflects the way Jesus moved through the world, lifting up those burdened by injustice, restoring dignity, and reminding each person of their worth. Lent invites us to imagine this kind of “enoughness”, enough safety, enough belonging, enough strength and enough hope. This vision echoes Jesus’ words in John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
What we offer goes far beyond support services. It is love in action, respect for all, safety always, gratitude, integrity in all we do and hope for the future.
During this season of reflection and reorientation, Tearfund’s investment in my leadership development has been vital. Through executive mentoring and intentional leadership training, I gained greater clarity in long-term planning, strengthened my confidence in guiding our team, and deepened my understanding of how to lead in ways that align with our values and responsibilities. This growth has helped us navigate our own “Lent-like” times of stretching, discernment, and preparation for what lies ahead. Proverbs 11:14 reminds us “In the abundance of counsellors there is safety.” Tearfund’s support has helped anchor and guide us during this important phase of growth.
As we walked the Lent Table journey together, I was encouraged to see how closely our hopes align. Lent is not only a time of sacrifice, but of solidarity. It calls us to walk alongside one another, just as Jesus walked alongside the vulnerable and unheard. Tearfund’s partnership has embodied this spirit: humble, listening, and committed to justice. Their support has helped amplify our work that is deeply rooted in love, culture, and community.
To our supporters and community, thank you. Your generosity allows this healing work to flourish. As we continue into the seasons ahead, we hold close the promise of Lent that renewal is possible, that justice can rise, and that hope can take root even in difficult places. We remain committed to justice for First Nations’ women, restoration, and walking with our women toward a future where every woman has enough to stand strong in her story and thrives in the abundance of what the future holds.
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