“Don’t allow the barriers of the past to influence where you are going... Move and go to the highest that you can go, and do not allow anything or anyone to stop you.”– Dr. Nellie Shani
Dedication
“If I was not alive, I would not be able to do anything… It is
God who gave me life, gave me a brain, and gave me health.
For that, I am truly grateful.”– Dr. Nellie Shani
This work is lovingly and reverently dedicated:
To God Almighty, the Lord Jesus Christ: The Author of life, the Giver of wisdom, and the Keeper of every breath I take. Without His divine guidance, favor, and mercy, this journey would have never been possible. It is through His grace that each barrier in my path was made visible—and each one dismantled systematically.
To my late parents, Raymond Odhuno and Mary Agalo: Who planted the seed of excellence in me, especially my father—whose unwavering belief in education became the bedrock of who I am. He raised seven daughters and one son in a world that often told girls they weren’t enough, yet he never let us believe that lie. His memory continues to push me to higher heights, even in his physical absence. My father did not tell me what to do. He lived his life and let me watch!
To Daniel Ole Shani: My beloved husband, confidant, and constant encourager. In every season—whether we were uprooted by transitions, learning new languages, or walking new roads—you stood beside me as my strength and my shelter. Your support was never passive; it was powerful. You believed in my dreams, often more than I did, and celebrated my milestones as though they were your own. You were the first to rejoice when I was honored, and the last to give up when I doubted myself. Thank you for being the reflection of my father’s vision and the fulfillment of my heart’s prayer.
To my four beautiful children: Tetu, Silalei, Lantei, and Lousie (my daughter-in-love) whose presence gave deeper meaning to my purpose. You have been a part of this journey, not just by relation, but by spirit. And to my grandchildren, Taji, Hakika, and Sanyu, who will carry our legacy into a future we can only imagine—may you always walk with courage, anchored in faith, and fueled by the strength of Almighty God – The Lord Jesus Christ.
To the students of Breaking Barriers International: past, present, and future—this is for you. You are living proof that healing is possible, that identity can be reclaimed, and that no invisible barrier is stronger than faith in God, effort, and truth. You are the reason we continue to teach, write, and train with passion. May this book serve as a reminder that your story doesn’t end with your wounds—but begins with your healing.
To the Breaking Barriers International Leadership Team and volunteers: I could not have carried this vision alone. You have believed in the vision that God gave me and have been the wind that pushed me forward when I felt like giving up.
And lastly, to the women across the world: who have ever been told to sit down, speak less, or lead only in silence—this biography is your permission-slip to rise up. Let it echo loudly: You belong at the table, on the stage, in the pulpit, and in power.
May every word written here reflect the weight of my gratitude and the width of my calling.
With love, humility, and unshakable purpose, Dr. Nellie Shani
Phase 1 Roots and Rising – Childhood & Early Education
“We would go to the river and carry the water in a bucket on our heads… and bring it back home.”–Dr. Nellie Shani
Every story has a beginning, and hers began with the contrast of two worlds—the buzz of urban life and the simplicity of a rural village. Raised in a home built on discipline, education, and Christian faith, Nellie’s early life was profoundly shaped by her father, a government employee who believed that every child—girl or boy—deserved the highest education possible. In a culture where girls were often overlooked, her father championed all seven of his daughters, urging each of them to dream higher and reach further than their circumstances allowed. That belief laid the foundation for everything that was to come.
Her childhood was split between two distinct environments. During the school year, she lived in the city—attending primary school in an urban setting. But when the holidays arrived, she would return to her family’s rural home. There, without electricity or running water, daily routines became lessons in resilience. She recalls the ritual of walking to the river, balancing buckets of water on her head, and collecting firewood from the forest to cook meals. These were not chores—they were chapters in her silent education, shaping her work ethic, humility, and sense of responsibility.
In the simplicity of village life, young Nellie began to learn the value of service without the noise of modern distractions. In the city, her world expanded. Education became her passport—a bridge to a future that many around her could not yet see. She completed her primary school education in the city and then transitioned to boarding school for her secondary education. There, she studied diligently through Forms One to Six, completing her high school education in Nairobi.
She was not the loudest student in the room, nor the most confident. In fact, she carried within her a shyness and self-consciousness that made social settings uncomfortable. “I was very insecure as a child,” she later admitted. “I didn’t like crowds. If visitors came to the house, I would run away.” These insecurities, fed by casual childhood teasing and self-doubt, took root early—but they would one day become the very thing she would help others overcome.
What separated Nellie even then was her deep introspection and her faith. She was raised in a Christian home, where her father led the family in prayer, Bible reading, and moral grounding. It was here, among the pages of Scripture and the stability of structure, that her personal relationship with God began to take shape. At the age of eleven she made a decision to live for Christ.
Despite the insecurity she felt on the surface, something far more powerful was taking root within her—a quiet confidence grounded in purpose. Though she couldn’t yet articulate it, she knew she was meant to impact others. She knew her life was not her own.
Her early educational journey was also supported by a natural talent in the creative arts, particularly in drawing and design. This gift would later guide her into university studies in graphic design, but even in childhood, her imagination served as a quiet refuge—a place where she could dream of a future unrestricted by her environment.
By the time she completed high school, she had already learned more than most teenagers: how to adapt, how to serve, how to blend strength with silence, and how to endure without complaint. She had learned that faith wasn’t just something practiced in church—it was something carried into a life of daily obedience.
These early years were not glamorous. There were no stages, no microphones, no published books. Just a girl with a burden on her head, a belief in her heart, and a destiny quietly forming beneath the surface. But sometimes the quietest beginnings make for the loudest legacies. And for Dr. Nellie Shani, every fire-lit evening in the village, every long walk to the river, every whispered prayer in the dark—became the foundation upon which her global ministry would one day stand.
“Many Christians today are living a life of constant struggle and failure no matter what they do to try and improve their lot in life. They are fighting something they do not understand. It is as if something invisible comes and blocks their progress just before they reach their goal. This invisible barrier that seems to plague many Christians of good standing, is what this book sets out to explore.” —Excerpt from Dr. Nellie Shani’s book, “BREAKING INVISIBLE BARRIERS: The Power of the Cross.”
Phase 2 From Talent to Training – Higher Education & Early Career
“I went to the University of Nairobi and studied graphic design… Later, I joined World Vision International in their training department. That was the beginning.”– Dr. Nellie Shani
When Dr. Nellie Shani walked through the gates of the University of Nairobi, she did so not just as a student—but as a pioneer of her own becoming. The little girl who once dodged visitors and avoided crowds had now begun the courageous process of stepping into her God-given identity.
She enrolled in a program many wouldn’t have expected—a field led by inspiration and artistic discipline: Graphic Design. For three years, she immersed herself in the creative world, developing not only technical skill but also a deeper understanding of how visual storytelling can shape hearts and minds. In a subtle but significant way, this choice reflected something profound: even then, Dr. Nellie Shani was drawn to message-making, to crafting truth in forms that others could see, feel, and understand.
Her academic excellence soon bore fruit. After graduating, she was hired by World Vision International, a globally respected humanitarian organization, where she worked in the Training Department. Her role? To take ideas and concepts from staff and leaders and transform them into professional, visually compelling presentations. She was not simply editing slides; she was translating visions into visuals, dreams into designs. It was an early form of ministry, though she didn’t label it that way then. She was serving a global mission, and her work spoke volumes—even in silence.
For five and a half years, she worked with dedication and purpose at World Vision. But Dr. Nellie Shani has never been someone to limit herself to one lane. Even as she thrived in her career, her voice was beginning to take shape—literally.
Parallel to her graphic design work, she became a radio presenter for Trans World Radio, hosting a program focused on agriculture and community development. While the subject matter was technical, the platform was transformational. Speaking into microphones that reached far-off rural communities, she learned the power of voice—the weight of words spoken with sincerity and clarity. It was a training ground she didn’t yet realize she needed: a stepping stone toward public speaking, preaching, and counseling, which would later define her ministry.
Still, life—as always—had more in store. Her husband’s career prompted a major move, and the family relocated from Kenya to Zambia. For many, this might have felt like a disruption. For Dr. Nellie Shani, it was a divine redirection.
Before the move, she wisely pursued a postgraduate certificate in Editing from Daystar University, equipping herself for new opportunities. That foresight proved essential. Once settled in Zambia, she began working at the Baptist Publishing House, where she applied her editorial skills with precision and creativity. She wasn’t just editing text—she was shaping narratives, often contributing articles herself. Her voice, once shy and hesitant, was now appearing in print.
These years were more than occupational. They were spiritual, emotional, and intellectual seasons of growth. With every new country, she had to learn anew, adapt, and serve in ways that felt unfamiliar. Yet it was in this flexibility, in this spirit of surrender, that her true calling began to crystallize.
Dr. Nellie Shani was not just building a career. She was building a life of meaning—one rooted in faith, adaptability, service, and a thirst for knowledge. She was also building a deep well of experience that would later become the foundation for her books, her counseling ministry, and her international teachings.
Behind every assignment, there was purpose. Behind every transition, there was preparation. She was learning how to create curriculum, communicate truth, counsel hearts, and most importantly—listen deeply, not just to people but to God.
These early professional chapters reveal something vital about Dr. Nellie Shani: she has always seen every role—whether as a designer, editor, or radio presenter—not just as a job, but as a ministry. Her excellence in execution was always matched by her spiritual intentionality. Every placement was divine. Every task was sacred.
Looking back, this phase of her life represents the first great unveiling of her gifts. While her ministry had not yet been named, and her books had not yet been written, the core of her calling was unmistakably present. She was discovering that her voice was not a whisper to be hidden—it was a trumpet to be sounded, and God was slowly tuning it, one season at a time.
It is here, in this chapter, that the shy, soft-spoken girl from Kenya’s countryside begins her transformation—not into someone new, but into the version of herself God had envisioned all along.
The woman who once feared being seen was now being shaped to stand before nations. And she was just getting started.
“Behind every broken marriage is a fierce battle that was lost in the spiritual realm. Many people do not realize that from the moment that they said “I do,” a raging battle starts whose sole objective is the break-up of their marriage.” —Excerpt from Dr. Nellie Shani’s book, “WHEN TWO HALVES MAKE A HOLE: Battling for Our Marriages”
Phase 3 Between Borders – Family, Faith & Global Missions
“We moved thousands of miles away... I did not know the language, the culture, or a single person. But every time we moved, God gave me a purpose for that place.”– Dr. Nellie Shani
For many, change is disruptive. For Dr. Nellie Shani, change became her classroom—and eventually, her congregation. With every new border crossed, a new part of her purpose unfolded.
After completing her tenure with World Vision and engaging in broadcasting and editing work in Kenya, her journey took an international turn. Her husband’s professional responsibilities opened doors to life in different countries, and rather than resist these shifts, Dr. Nellie Shani embraced them as divine appointments—even when they came with challenges.
Their first major move was to Zambia, a new country, a new culture, and a world away from the familiar rhythms of Nairobi. But she was not one to sit idle. She started a small group of twelve women who came together once a week to study the Bible and encourage one another in the mission and purpose that God has for them. She was also given the task of heading the children’s ministry at the Twin Palm Baptist Church, where she taught young children between the ages of six to twelve years old.
After three years, life shifted again—this time to Mauritania, an Islamic desert country in West Africa. The transition wasn’t easy. “I did not know the language,” she recalls. The people spoke Arabic and French, and the climate and culture were entirely unfamiliar. Yet instead of retreating, Dr. Nellie Shani chose to learn—and not just adapt but serve.
She enrolled in a local French language school and soon became fluent enough to volunteer as the art teacher at the American Embassy School in Nouakchott. Though the role was unpaid, she saw it as her offering, her way of saying yes to the calling of every new land. For three years, she poured her heart into her students, using the universal language of art to build bridges where words were scarce.
Then came another move—this time to Senegal, a culturally rich but equally unfamiliar Islamic nation. Here, Dr. Nellie Shani’s counseling ministry began to take root. She served as one of the two school counselors at the American Embassy School, guiding students through their emotional journeys, helping them understand themselves, and planting early seeds of the therapeutic philosophy that would later become central to her global counselling ministry.
At the same time, she was appointed Youth Director at her local church, where she served for six transformative years. It was here that her spiritual gifts, her counseling instincts, and her leadership skills came into full bloom. Whether guiding teenagers or supporting parents, she led with the kind of compassion that can only come from someone who has walked through the fires of dislocation, self-discovery, and deep faith.
These years in West Africa were not just career-building—they were soul-deepening. They taught her to let go of fear, to walk boldly into rooms where she knew no one, and to speak truth in cultures that weren’t always familiar but were always receptive to authenticity. It was in Senegal that Dr. Nellie Shani started to teach on Spiritual Warfare at the West Africa Missionary Women’s Conferences.