|
OVERSEAS
Mothers'
Union now has over 3,500,000 members in more than 76 countries. The vast
majority of our members live in developing countries.
For
recent news, information and Mothers'
Union events around the world, please click on
Mothers'
Union Worldwide
The Diocese of Gloucester has
linked dioceses :
The Province of Nigeria was formed in 1979, and now has ten
ecclesiastical provinces, with 91+ dioceses. There is a large membership
and projects range from health projects, to agricultural support and
literacy groups, and income generating schemes operate in many dioceses.
Depending on the diocese, needs are quite different. Many parts up to
the north of Nigeria are governed under Shariah (Islamic) law. This
exposes the church to quite a few challenges and Mothers' Union here is
key in providing members with invaluable fellowship and support.
Christians can be persecuted for their belief in this region and
Mothers' Union strives to encourage and equip people in their faith.
Literacy and Basic life skills classes have been hugely effective, in a
practical way, enabling members to reach people in their communities and
help build a trust that benefits the local area prone to religious
tension. Farming is difficult in this area too, as characteristically of
the North much of the land is desert, making farming hard with low
yields. Members have established centres where people can learn
alternative skills to farming, in the hope many can broaden their skill
base and support themselves and their family when farming becomes
difficult.
Unlike the North, dioceses in the east and west of Nigeria boast a
better climate ensuring the surrounding countryside is more lush, making
farming easier. Diocesan projects in this area have encouraged
communities to generate income through poultry farming, palm oil and
cassava processing.
In a country where ethnic and religious tensions can run high, the role
of women in Nigerian society can be difficult. The work by members in
this country really does empower manywho may not ordinarily have the
opportunity to attend courses, or even have fellowship with others. The
sense of empowerment, which can be felt through working on, or setting
up a project for their community is truly invaluable to many of these
women.
In Ondo in
recent years Mothers' Union has established an Old Peoples Home, an Ecumenical and Vocational
Centre to provide a forum for education, Bible study and fellowship for
youth. Mary Sumner House Worldwide Grants Committee donated money for a
Motherless Babies Home.
The word Ekiti means Mound or
high ground. The area is thickly forested and has a rainy and a dry
season. The people are mainly farmers who produce yams, cocoa, cassava
and rice. Mothers' Union activities include : Annual Conference, annual rededication
and enrolment services, Youth Forum, annual "bring and buy" for funds,
annual prayer week and weekly prayers in members' homes. There is a
vocational centre for youth and women within the compound of the
Diocesan Headquarters.
Mothers' Union was first established in Papua New Guinea in 1949, and
has branches in all five dioceses. 85% of the population live in rural
areas, and as three quarters of the island is covered with dense
tropical rainforests, with few roads, travel has always been extremely
difficult. This perhaps has contributed to the development of almost 800
individual local languages, some spoken by only a few people. Now
English, Pidgin and Motu are the main languages spoken.
Mothers' Union in Papua New Guinea is lively and active. It has over
20,000 members in the five dioceses of Aipo Rongo, Dogura, Popondota,
Port Moresby and New Guinea Islands. Mothers' Union is involved in a
wide variety of activities there, including hospital visits and
community outreach, raising awareness of HIV/AIDS, and organising
trainings on communication and gender issues. Mothers' Union is also
involved in running projects throughout the Province, such as fishing,
baking, sewing, embroidery and other handicrafts. It intends to expand
income-generating projects to enable members to sustain activities in
their own dioceses.
In Papondota he local market takes place
under the palm trees by the ocean. Women sell small quantities of
produce they have grown. The Cathedral at Popondota does not need walls
or stained glass to be beautiful. Mothers' Union is evangelising the remote
mountain areas, sharing the Word of God
Since gaining its independence in 1960, the country has been marred with
trouble, unrest and corruption culminating in a five-year civil war that
claimed the lives of an estimated 4 million people. Tension still
remains high in many areas
The war in the DRC has had a devastating affect on communities and on
the work of Mothers' Union. Many families were obliged to seek refuge in
neighbouring countries. The war has devastated society and the land,
resulting in extreme poverty, malnutrition and little hope for the
better through education. However Mothers' Union has continued to work
hard amid difficult situations to show God's love. They have seen the
needs and responded. Seminars have been held on violence and HIV/AIDS
and people affected have been helped through numerous counselling
services. Their peace and reconciliation work has been vital and among
the many casualties of the war, many widows and orphans are served and
supported by Mothers' Union .
Micro-credit and income generation projects have been established, and
the agricultural activities producing palm oil, bananas, oranges,
peanuts and rice have been hugely successful. There have also been
development projects in craft making, tree planting and soap making.
Mothers' Union members meet regularly for prayer and fellowship, which
forms a vital foundation to the important work that is being undertaken
in the country.
This diocese
of Bukavu covers 214,000 square miles, more than three times the size of England!
The area continues to feel the effects of war started in 1996. Many
members have lost homes, families and livelihoods. Mothers'
Union tries to support single
parent families. Members receive guidance on nutrition, sanitation and
the challenges of everyday life. Generous support from Gloucester
Diocese has helped establish domestic industries, food production and
education.
SPOTLIGHT ON BUKAVU
Where is Bukavu?
Mothers' Union membership in Tanzania is growing at a phenomenal rate
and currently stands at 700,000. Tanzania is a vast country with
expanses of arid desert as well as fertile highlands. It is fortunate
not have been troubled by war like its neighbours Rwanda, Congo and
Burundi and instead has provided safe refuge for hundreds of thousands
of refugees who have fled because of the fighting.
One of the wonderful attributes of Mothers' Union family in Tanzania is
the fellowship the members have together. Not only are they are source
of encouragement to each other but also to those are facing adversity.
The Church Mothers' Union work together in refugee camps helping those
who have suffered under such horrific circumstances. Mothers' Union
helps in both a practical as well a spiritual way, offering hope and
encouragement to those who have lost everything and in some cases
everyone. Just knowing people care about your situation is very precious
and the refugees have said that they felt very blessed by the support
and fellowship Mothers' Union has given them.
Life is not always easy for Mothers' Union members in Tanzania. In the
last few years many have been affected by severe drought and food
shortages. In response to the crisis, money from the Mothers' Union
Relief Fund was sent to a number of dioceses in Tanzania enabling the
local Mothers' Union to give much needed relief to families in their
communities.
Where are the Southern
Highlands?
The Diocese of the southern
Highlands was formed when the Diocese of South West Tanganyika was
divided into two. The Bishop who was known to the then Archdeacon of
Gloucester moved to the Southern Highlands and we requested to be linked
with them . The Diocese is mainly agricultural and communications are not
the easiest. When they were formed they had nothing, including no
Cathedral and no Diocesan Structure.
The Parish Church became the
Cathedral and the Diocesan Guest House is now the Diocesan offices with
the Mothers' Union office there.
Mothers' Union in Gloucester Diocese has helped to set up small-scale
cattle breeding projects. Money from the sale of milk has been
used to start a soap
making project using palm oil .
Members
have started craft projects and as wood is the main fuel, members have
planted many trees for future use as logs or charcoal. Their houses and churches are made from
bricks that they make in the villages and roofed with palm leaves ( Palm
roofs need replacing every year as they tend to leak!). Corrugated tin
is also used but is very expensive.
For
Mothers' Union members meeting together is always a very special time.
In the Southern Highlands Mothers' Union members get together once
a week to share fellowship with one another. They pray, study the Bible
and sing together in the morning then go into the fields to hoe their
potatoes and sing all the more.
Karnataka & Dornakal in Southern India
In
recent years frequent exchange visits between Gloucester and these
dioceses have enabled a growing understanding and a mutually beneficial
sharing of faith. Several members have been able to visit India or to
entertain visitors.
OVERSEAS - GENERAL
Facts & Figures
The
Overseas Fund plays an extremely vital part in our work. From this Fund
grants are made towards salary and travel grants for Mothers'
Union workers, office
equipment, transport, conferences and training events, and projects.
The number of requests to the Overseas Fund is increasing each year with
an increasing number of Anglican dioceses worldwide.
Supporting Mothers’ Union workers
Our main gift to the dioceses worldwide are the Mothers'
Union workers and a
significant proportion of the Overseas Fund goes towards supporting
dioceses with the costs of salary and travel for their workers.
All Mothers' Union workers are local women, who speak the language of the people
among whom they work and understand the local culture and customs.
They teach a variety of basic skills, both practical and spiritual;
organise conferences and training for members and the local community;
and encourage self-help/income generating projects and community
outreach programmes.
There are currently 286 Provincial and Diocesan Mothers’ Union workers
around the world and their number increases steadily year by year
Conferences and training
When women have the opportunity for training, the benefits are seen by
the whole community. Attendance at a conference or seminar arranged by
Mothers' Union
is often the only opportunity some women have to learn about and
discuss issues that affect their everyday lives.
The topics covered in a training workshop or conference are key issues
affecting the participants, their families and their community. In most
cases, a proportion of the costs of these events is raised locally by
the participants and/or the local Mothers'
Union, but without some additional help
from the Overseas Fund, few could take place.
The focus of these conferences varies
considerably. Below are a few examples:
·
Peace and reconciliation
·
Marriage
·
Working with young people
·
HIV/AIDS awareness
·
Widows rights
·
Family relationships
·
Women empowerment
·
Leadership
·
Health care
Projects
Across the world Mothers'
Union is involved in a wide variety of projects
including vocational centres, HIV/AIDS awareness projects, cafeterias
and sewing projects.
For
full details of projects worldwide visit the Mothers' Union Web Site
(click on globe)
Mothers' Union Emergency Relief Work
(This information is available on
the Mothers' Union Web Site )
The Mothers' Union Relief Fund provides emergency financial help for
communities affected by natural disaster or conflict. Although an
internationally renowned organisation, the grassroots nature of Mothers'
Union means
that it is exceptionally well placed within communities to quickly
obtain food, materials and medicines for immediate distribution where
most needed.
Mozambique
Mothers' Union were amongst the first charities to respond when a
cyclone struck at the end of February 2007. An immediate grant of 15,000
UK pounds was sent from the Relief fund to assist Mothers'
Union volunteers in
Niassa and Lebombo diocese. The cyclone and the following heavy rains
brought flooding and devastation, especially to families around Lake
Malawi, where 1,500 families were made homeless. As a direct result of
Mothers' Union intervention 680 families were supplied with emergency aid kits
including mosquito nets; essential in this highly endemic area for
malaria, food supplies and chlorine for water purification. Further MU
grants are already being made available to provide additional funding for
replanting crops, essential drugs, roofing plastic, soap and tents to
house people needing medical assistance.
Burundi
Mothers' Union responded to an urgent appeal from the Archbishop of
Burundi in January, when the effects of famine and flood were severe
enough for the Government to declare a national disaster. Houses, schools
and churches were destroyed, 80 % of crops were washed away or
destroyed, and the country's roads and communication infrastructure was
badly damaged. People in the area were suffering malnutrition and
disease. Alongside the financial contributions of the Burnundians
themselves, the Government and Anglican Communion appealed for
assistance. It is estimated that 800,000 people will need food
assistance between February and July 2007. Mothers'
Union sent an immediate fund of 10,000 to Mothers'
Union in Burundi to enable them to bring immediate relief
to families most in need in the affected areas.
Famine in
East Africa
Over 13 million people across East Africa, at least half of them under
18 years of age, were affected by prolonged drought in 2005. Across
Kenya, Malawi, Burundi, Ethiopia and Somalia rural communities were
pushed to starvation point by the resulting failed harvests. One Mothers'
Union
region in Burundi had not seen rain since 2002 and their situation
typifies many across East Africa their farms fail without water,
children are suffering from malnutrition and many people are dying of
starvation.
What did we do?
Whilst not a million dollar international aid agency, Mothers'
Union has been able
to fund many direct requests from dioceses across Kenya, Zambia,
Tanzania, Burundi and Malawi. In Kenya maize and beans were distributed
to those most in need. In Burundi over 2,000 families were helped by the
provision of rice, beans, maize and clothes: In Malawi 3,000 families in
need of urgent assistance were helped, and these dioceses are now
assisting communities on improving agricultural methods for long term
food security.
What can you
do?
Our Emergency Relief Fund urgently needs donations to enable us to be
able to respond to future natural disasters. Sadly, drought is a
perennial problem in Africa, flooding in Asia, famine across the
developing world. To respond we need your help:
Relief for Refugees
In September 2005 there was renewed fighting in the Diocese of Boga, in
D R Congo. A large group of rebels attacked the centre of the Diocese
looting and burning houses, buildings and the main hospital. Thousands
of people, mainly women and children fled from the area and settled in
camps in Eringeti and Bunia and across the border in Uganda. Living with
literally nothing on the side of the road, or in camps, the situation of
these displaced people was desperate.
What did we do?
At Eringeti, Bunia and in Muhabura, Uganda where over 20,000 refugees
sought sanctuary, Mothers' Union members visited people, listened and talked with
them, and asked what their needs were. A relief fund grant was quickly
sent for emergency supplies of maize flour, blankets, jerricans, soap
and other utensils to help these families. Over 2,000 families were
assisted in this way, and Mothers' Union continues to visit displaced families,
including children without parents.
What can you do?
Many people continue to die in refugee camps. Mothers'
Union can work through the
local diocese to bring comfort and immediate aid with your help. By
giving prayerfully and financially you can resource ongoing support and
ensure that we can respond to new needs for families facing adversity.
|
