Society saving women, children living on the edges
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose
Students outnumber available desks at the Tsalala Primary School outside Maputo, Mozambique.
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| Students
outnumber available desks at the Tsalala Primary School outside Maputo,
Mozambique. The elementary school teaches children from first through
fourth grades. "In the beginning, the objective was to teach adult
women," says Ester David Afumo, president of the local United Methodist
Women's Society. "But when the women would come, we noticed lots of
children just sitting in the trees waiting for them. That's when we
thought to introduce the elementary school because we knew it would help
so many." A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. Photo #05-M043, 4/6/05 |
April 6, 2005NOTE:
This story is part of a six-week Close Up series, "Mozambique: A Land
of Contrasts." Related reports, photographs and audio are available at http://umns.umc.org. By Kathy L. Gilbert* MAPUTO,
Mozambique (UMNS)—"Witch daughters," orphans, unemployed women and
uneducated children all have places to go and resources to seek a better
life thanks to the United Methodist Women’s Society in Mozambique. The
Women’s Society is the equivalent of United Methodist Women in the
United States. The society is funded through Advance Special projects,
the Women’s Division of the Board of Global Ministries and other sources
such as the Mozambique Initiative in Missouri. The Women’s Society oversees projects designed primarily to help women become self-sufficient, such as: - Tsalala Training Center and primary school
- Janene Pennel Primary School
- Chimedza Training Center
- Cabo Delgado Training Center
- Pastor’s Wives Training Center
- Teles Orphanage
- Hanhane Women’s Shelter
- Public Health Center, Maputo
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose
The United Methodist Hanhane Women�s Shelter in Massinga, Mozambique, houses 26 elderly women.
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| Twenty-six
elderly women live at the United Methodist Hanhane Women's Shelter in
Massinga, Mozambique. All of the women are there because their families
accused them of witchcraft and drove them from their homes. A UMNS photo
by Mike DuBose. Photo #05-M044, 4/6/05 |
At the Tsalala
Center, on the outskirts of Maputo, 32 women learn to dye cloth, design
clothing and sew. The six-month course teaches skills so women can earn a
living for themselves, says Judite Gemo, coordinator of the center,
which also operates an elementary school for children from the first to
fourth grades."In
the beginning, the objective was to teach adult women," says Ester
David Afumo, president of the Women’s Society. "But when the women would
come, we noticed lots of children just sitting in the trees waiting for
them. That’s when we thought to introduce the elementary school because
we knew it would help so many." Afumo
says many children are not allowed to attend school either because
their parents cannot afford to send them or they are needed to work in
the fields and at home. All
of the training centers give women tools to help them escape poverty
and to address problems about health care, HIV/AIDS and literacy, Gemo
says. Classes in districts and churches teach women to write and read
Portuguese and Xitswa. Since 1991, the classes have taught more than 500
women to read and write.
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose
Tsalala Primary School, outside Maputo, Mozambique, teaches children from first through fourth grades.
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| Students
outnumber available desks at the Tsalala Primary School outside Maputo,
Mozambique. The elementary school teaches children from first through
fourth grades. "In the beginning, the objective was to teach adult
women," says Ester David Afumo, president of the local United Methodist
Women's Society. "But when the women would come, we noticed lots of
children just sitting in the trees waiting for them. That's when we
thought to introduce the elementary school because we knew it would help
so many." A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. Photo #05-M047, 4/6/05 |
Concerned about child
abuse, the Women’s Society conducts seminars and lectures in churches
and organizations to teach children about their roles and rights."Because
of various factors, mostly the high cost of living and misplacement due
to the war, lots of children see themselves with no other choice but to
sell their bodies for survival," says Ilda Suzana Guambe, secretary of
the society. War and poverty also force many children to work to care
for younger brothers and sisters when their parents have died. "As women, we are concerned with our children, both inside and outside the church," Guambe says. The
society believes its literacy program can be a source of empowerment
for women who mostly live in rural areas. Once educated and trained,
women have skills to create sources of income for themselves, fight
discrimination, protect their children and care for the elderly.
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose
Amelia Titos Messane, director of the Teles Orphanage in Teles, Mozambique, cares for children left orphaned by AIDS.
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| Amelia
Titos Messane, director of the Teles Orphanage in Teles, Mozambique,
cares for children left orphaned by AIDS at the ministry that is
supported by the United Methodist Women�s Society of Mozambique. A UMNS
photo by Mike DuBose. Photo #05-M051, 4/6/05 |
"The United Methodist
Women’s Society in Mozambique has been engaged in promoting actions to
minimize or eliminate social evil against women," Guambe says. Even
though much has been done, she says the human and financial resources
are limited and "almost insufficient.""We thank the Almighty God for life and encouragement to save the society." Contributions
to the Tsalala Training Center may be sent through a local United
Methodist church or annual conference, or by mailing a check to Advance
GCFA, P.O. Box 9068, GPO, New York, NY 10087-9068. Write the check out
to "Advance GCFA" and include Tsalala Training Center (Advance
Special #14508N, provides supplies for vocational education, and #14509A
is a ministry to help young women increase skills and self-suffiency)
on the check memo line. Call (888) 252-6174 to give by credit card. For
more information, visit the Advance Web site, http://gbgm-umc.org/advance. *Gilbert
is a United Methodist News Service news writer in Nashville, Tenn. Some
information for this report was provided by a report written by Ilda
Suzana Guambe, secretary of the society. News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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