wfn.org | New regional missionaries work at grass-roots level

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

Oct. 17, 2000 News media contact: Linda Bloom·(212) 870-3803·New York
10-31-32-71B{478}

NOTE: This report is a sidebar to UMNS story #477.

By Kelly Martini*

NEW YORK (UMNS) -- A pilot group of nine missionaries, who will work at the
grass-roots level in their home regions to improve the lives of women,
children and youth, has been commissioned by the United Methodist Board of
Global Ministries.

Initiated through the board's Women's Division and mission personnel unit,
the new missionaries will work in targeted priority areas specified by the
women and youth themselves. Most of the group took part in an Oct. 10
boardwide commissioning service in New York.
 
Raised in Cameroon, Catherine Akale is returning to her home country to work
across the sub-Saharan region on social and economic justice issues facing
women. Although feminists in the Northern Hemisphere speak about the "third
wave" of the feminist movement, Akale explained that African women have not
even reached the first wave.

"Gender segregation is embedded in church and social structures," she said.
She will be consulting with other women in the region to identify their
major issues of concern.
  
Akale believes the empowerment of African women will come through education.
"We will begin seminars and workshops, hopefully enabling women to be on an
equal ground with men in church, society, economics and employment," she
said.

She admitted that initial resistance might come from male church leaders,
who might not want an awareness of equal rights and equal opportunities to
be hammered too strongly, fearing loss of their leadership. "That's why I
would like to work around those fears, taking on some of the cultural issues
of respect, and show that even within that, there's room for women to
participate on an equal basis within the institutions, society, households
and wherever there are talented women."
. 	
Violence against women will be a major challenge, according to Akale. "Most
African cultures have conditioned women to be secretive about intra-family
violence," she explained. "The cultural aspect of violence is another issue.
Because many women are economically dependent on men, if there is a
violation of their rights, there is a fear of losing security and contact
with one's own family."
	
John Yambasu also will be working in sub-Saharan Africa with United
Methodists, Methodists and ecumenically in youth leadership development and
networking programs. During the past 15 years, Yambasu said, organizing
programs to help empower youth has impacted his own life and broadened his
perspectives about the needs of young people.
  
When civil war broke out in Sierra Leone, he developed the Child Rescue
Center there, an orphanage for 40 children. The center housed children who
fought in the war, had been abducted and were homeless. Later, a clinic was
built to provide medical treatment to all of the children, including those
of teen-age mothers who were raped during the war.  Now, the center provides
free education for 100 children at the primary school level. 

"When we look at the African continent today, it is one that is full of
crisis. If it is not war, it is political unrest, hunger, poverty,
illiteracy and disease, the most critical of which is the AIDS crisis,"
Yambasu said. "In all of these crises, young people play the most active
role. They are also the perpetrators and victims. If any difference is to be
made on the continent, we need to begin preparing our young people to be
able to make a positive impact on the continent."
	
Roseangela Oliveira will help organize women for mission in Latin America
and train them for participation in all levels of the church, as well as
help them address issues such as violence, health and women's human rights.
	
One training method involves using schools of mission organized by the
Methodist women's organization of Brazil in partnership with United
Methodist-related Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C. "The women's
organization is doing their own leadership development, which is new for us
in Brazil," Oliveira said. "They are working on women's issues. We will help
them participate with women across Latin America to network, gain new
experiences and support work they are already doing."
	
All nine members of the pilot group of regional missionaries are experienced
in mission, and five of them have been recipients of Women's Division
scholarships.

# # #

*Martini is executive secretary of communications for the Women's Division,
United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org