Women and Children Department
The Women and Children Department of the Moravian Church - South West Province has a crucial role in supporting the community. It supports women and children and helps them to claim their role in society. In response to the high number of orphans and vulnerable children, especially due to HIV/Aids, the church started the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Project in Nsalaga. To get more information about this project, click on the link below.Orphans and Vulnerable Children Project - Nsalaga
Women’s Solidarity
and Empowerment
Peace, love and solidarity are the key words
and focus of the Department of Women and Children. Tanzanian women suffer from
gender discrimination, in which it is especially prevalent in the rural areas
of Tanzania. It is believed that this is due to a lack of knowledge. These women
are working to change “bad” cultural traditions concerning gender issues and
bring gender equality between men and women. They assert that a woman should be
listened to and respected just as men are. Women should have better access to
education as well as leadership and teaching positions. Women must fight for
their independence spiritually, politically, economically and socially. In order to
respond to their mission, the Department of Women and Children set up projects
to fight against early pregnancy, early marriage and the high birth rate by
supporting girls’ education. However, the department empowers women and girls not
only by supporting them in paying school fees and basic school requirements,
but also by teaching them how to generate income and become economically
independent. One example of this are the sewing and knitting workshops which
are organized by the department. With theses skills, women can work from home
and generate additional income for them and their families.
The department
also organizes courses in leadership, computer application, entrepreneurial skills
and English. Women leaders are usually trained during workshops, after which
time they return to their congregations and transfer the knowledge they have
gained. In this way, women living in remote places can be reached, counseled
and empowered. The department
also established Village Community Banks (VICOBA), to help women get small
loans to start businesses and finance their projects.
Furthermore, the Women
and Children Department organizes seminars on mental health, called CPE (clinical
pastoral education), to help women in difficult situations and support them mentally.
The Women of the Moravian Church also assist vulnerable women and their
children living with HIV, cancer and diabetes. In seminars, widows get trained
and informed about their human rights and gender related problems. The women
also offer support to sick persons, visiting them in the hospital or in prison
and attending funerals. There are also many sick women suffering from
depression. Therefore praying, listening and supporting them are paramount to
success in our holistic approach.
Women gather
together every Wednesday and Friday to join their hands in prayer for their
families, leaders, schools, churches and the nation. They also gather on
special days like the day for the Council of Churches in Tanzania (CCT day),
Women’s World Prayer Day, Children’s Day, Orphans Day, and Moravian Day (MCT
day). It is during these times that women are given an opportunity to pray
together and raise funds to support social projects and their province and
congregations.
Finally, the
Department of Women is responsible for Sunday school teachers in the 198 congregations, whereby there are several Sundays school
teachers for each congregation. They are setting up workshops to provide
training and support for them in their tasks for example by providing them with
stronger knowledge in children’s education and psychology.
KNITTING AND TAILORING CLASS
A. Brief history
The women and children department also organizes a knitting and tailoring class for women and girls. The course started in January 2018. The course is been support by Mission 21 under the leadership of Adrianne Sweetman. All female members of the MCTSWP and non- moravians are invited to attended this course in order to improve their standard of living. The classroom is situated at the head office at Jacaranda.
The objectives of this course are:
- to improve the standard of living among women
- to make women to be self reliant
- to raise the economic development of the province
1. January - March 2018 students who graduated were ...........
2. April - June, 2018 students who graduated were ................
3. July - September, 2018 students who graduated were ..................
4. October - December, 2018, students who graduted were ............
5. January - March 2019 students who graduated were ...........
6. April - June, 2019 students who graduated were 19 whereby there were two (02) women and seventeen (17) girls
C. Staff members
1. Salome Mnkondya is responsible for Knitting course
2. Tukulamba Mwakanyemba is responsible for Tailoring
3. Jenipha Kamendu is also responsible for Tailoring
D. Future expectations
The department is expecting to extend this activity to various areas especially in rural areas. The piloted areas are
(a) Mbozi at Vwawa in Songwe region
(b) Ilembo in Mbeya Rural
(c) Mbarali
(d) Chunya
Contact
Moravian Church in Tanzania - South West Province
Women and Children Department
P.O. Box 377Mbeya
Tanzania
Phone: +255 755 987288
Email: tulinagwekibona@gmail.com