Virginia Njoroge: The Kenyan in Australia Turning Grief into Healing Through “The School of Loss”
When you meet Virginia Njoroge, her calm presence tells a story words can only begin to describe. Behind her gentle smile is a life shaped by heartbreak, faith, and the quiet courage to begin again. Years ago, in the stillness that follows loss, Virginia found herself standing in the middle of life’s hardest classroom — grief. It was there she learned lessons no book could teach.
Her journey began in Kenya, surrounded by love, laughter, and the warmth of family. But within a short time, she lost her mother, brother, and father — three of the people who had defined her world. “Grief enrolled me in a school I never applied to,” she says. “There were no teachers, no notes, no timetable — just pain, silence, and the slow discovery of myself again.”
Writing The School of Loss started as a way to survive. Each page became a place to breathe, to cry, to remember. “At first, I was just writing to stay alive,” she recalls. “But as I wrote, I realized that my story was also other people’s story.” Her words became a mirror for anyone who had ever loved deeply and lost profoundly. Soon, what began as personal healing turned into a shared ministry of hope.
When she migrated to Australia, grief traveled with her — quietly, invisibly. “Coming to Australia wasn’t just about chasing dreams,” she says softly. “It was about finding air to breathe again.” Yet life in the diaspora brought its own kind of loneliness. Far from familiar rituals, she found herself mourning not only her loved ones but also the comfort of community, the voices that once surrounded her, and the home that held her memories.
Still, in the quiet of her new home in Adelaide, something began to grow — a new understanding of identity. “Australia gave me the space to rebuild. Kenya gave me the roots to stay grounded,” she reflects. “I learned that belonging isn’t about geography — it’s about peace with your story.”
Working as a support worker deepened her connection to others navigating unseen pain. She supports individuals living with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, many of whom carry their own hidden grief. “My professional world and personal world began to merge,” she explains. “Supporting others taught me patience and compassion — the same qualities I needed to face my own healing.” Through this work, she witnessed how universal grief is — a shared language that connects all humans.
Publishing The School of Loss wasn’t easy. “Writing it was hard, but releasing it was harder,” she admits. “I was afraid of being judged or misunderstood for my vulnerability. But I realized that healing doesn’t happen in silence. Once I told my story, others began telling theirs. That’s when I knew it was worth it.”
Her message to the Kenyan community is heartfelt and direct. “Many of us here carry invisible weights,” she says. “We smile, we work, we study, we build — yet inside, some of us are breaking. Losing someone back home while you’re far away is a pain only the diaspora truly understands. You grieve twice — for the loss, and for the distance.”
Virginia urges the community to create safe spaces for conversations about grief, mental health, and emotional well-being. “Grief is not weakness. It’s love — love with nowhere to go,” she says. She hopes her story reminds Kenyans in Australia that healing is not about forgetting but learning to live differently. “Take your time,” she adds. “Healing has no deadline. You can rebuild at your own pace.”
Today, Virginia continues to share her story across the diaspora, reminding others that even in loss, there is life waiting to be rediscovered. Her faith, once tested, is now her compass. “I’ve learned that endings are not the enemy of hope — they’re the doorway through which new beginnings enter,” she reflects.
Every page of The School of Loss carries this truth — that pain can be repurposed, that grief can give birth to purpose, and that from the soil of sorrow, something sacred can grow.
To the Kenyan diaspora in Australia, Virginia’s journey is a powerful reminder that we are more than our pain — we are a community of resilience, love, and rebirth. Her story invites us to look at loss not as an ending but as a transformation. And in that transformation, she has found her calling: to heal, to write, and to help others find light again.
You can purchase The School of Loss on Amazon Australia here:
https://www.amazon.com.au/SCHOOL-LOSS-Reflections-Carry-Growth/dp/B0FQ47TD8P
