East-Central Africa (ECD)

• A Report on Ethiopia Union (8/22/04)
• Tanzania Women's Training Center (10/04/04)
• Rwanda Union Women, Ministries Congress Report (ECD) (1/2/05)
• Hope Channel invites the Rwanda Union Women's Ministries to share their mission (ECD) (04/07)

A Report on Ethiopia Union

The Ethiopia Union held meetings on February 27-29, 2004.

According to Elder Benjamin Brown, the union president, the seminar was a mark of new beginnings for the Women's Ministries in the union. He had not before seen the women in Ethiopia Union respond to an invitation to serve in the manner they did during this seminar. He further commented that "some few individuals fight the Women's Ministries, but we the leadership strongly support it. We have a vision in the future to have a full time Women’s Ministries leader. I don't know when it will happen, but it will be in the near future.”

Women accept leadership. Many women had previously refused to take on leadership roles because they were not sure of the job description and had the misconception that Women's Ministries was about nothing but politics. These misconceptions were revealed when the women were asked to give personal testimonies. However, after the true role of Women’s Ministries was explained many women committed to take on leadership roles whenever called upon to lead. This was a great achievement for women’s ministries in Ethiopia. When Ester Aneme, the newly elected Women's Ministries director of Ethiopian Union, was presented with the content and the extent of the work in the Women's Ministries department she broke down in tears. Joy, tears, and cheers filled the room when the lady who had previously refused to accept leadership at the union level volunteered to be Ester’s assistant. In her confession she had this to say: "Had I accepted the responsibility as the director of the Women's Ministries at the time I was elected, Ester wouldn't be crying. My rejection of God's call has caused pain to somebody. I will, therefore, volunteer to be her associate. I know God has given me the talent and ability to lead, but I can not explain why I refused the call.” Ester works with Save Our Source (SOS), as a personal assistant. She is married with two sons, one 10 years old and the other nine. She had this to say regarding her appointment.

Dialogue with the new Women’s Ministries leader.

QN: Esther, tell me a few things you knew about Women's Ministries, prior to your election as director for women's ministries.

Esther: I have not been a participant at all. I have attended no Women's Ministries meetings before.

QN: How could you then accept such a responsibility for which you have no knowledge and experience at all?

EA: I believe it was God's plan and calling, because prior to my election I had a strong desire to help women—particularly the elderly and widows. As a matter of fact, I was thinking of working on a proposal on how to help those women.

QN: How did Elder Brown, the union president, I identify you, since you had not been an active participant in the women's ministries department?

EA: I believe it was just by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Elder Brown did not personally know me except that we both worship in the same church at Finhowa, near the union offices.

QN: How did elder Brown approach you? What words did he use to convince you to join the ministry?

EA: Elder Brown sent his wife to talk to me prior to his communication.

QN: What was your response?

EA: I promised him that I would prayerfully think about it and get back to them.

QN: What was your response after those prayerful moments?

EA: God revealed to me that my desire to help the old women and the widows had been answered, since these two groups of women were part of the women in the church.

QN: What do you do in the church?

EA: I'm an active participant in the lay activity programs and am particularly involved in hospital visitation and preaching in the rural churches. I also love giving tracts to all the people I meet; I carry them along with me wherever I go. I also enjoy giving people hope and love by greeting them warmly—especially the old and the poor.

QN: How do you hope to succeed, working in this ministry that is completely new to you?

EA: I don't know. All I do know is that I have a great desire to serve the Lord.

QN: Tell me in brief how you plan to begin as a director for the department.

EA: After the seminar I feel greatly motivated. I will visit the fields and ensure that there is leadership; I will also have the women's ministries materials available to me, translated in the local language (Amharic). I plan to work closely with the church leaders.

QN: Being a full time worker for a different organization, how do you hope to find time to carry out your new responsibility?

EA: I will use my weekends, and leave time to visit the fields and train the women. I understand that there is no pay, my time may be limited, and there might be trouble in the women's ministries work, but I feel a strong desire to serve. I believe it's a calling from the Lord.

QN: What is your husband’s attitude towards this new responsibility?EA: Of course, it's not easy for him, but he is an Adventist and I know the Lord will use him to support me in doing his will. My greatest hope is in Heb. 12:1-3:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfected of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right and of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

The seminar was attended by a total of 30 women; the four fields of the union were well represented. Words can not possibly express my gratitude for God's mighty hand in Ethiopia during the seminar.

The following were noted as major challenges for the women in Ethiopia Union:

1. In some areas, especially the South field, women are not allowed to preach from the pulpit.
2. Poverty
3. Illiteracy
4. Women fight against themselves.
5. Men fight against women participating in the church.
6. Many men don't like their wives to be involved in women’s ministries activities.

May God's name be praised for providing us with leadership in Ethiopia.

Joy Gashaija
Women’s Ministries Director
East-Central Africa Division

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Tanzania Women's Training Center

The Tanzania Women's Training Centre, a living memorial to the 62 Adventist women who died in June 2002 due to a train wreck after attending their first Women's Ministries Congress, is currently being built. Many organizations, churches, and individuals donated funds to help in raising more than $50,000 to help make this center a reality. Currently, 30 students are taking classes are being held in the old conference offices until the building is complete. Here are some pictures from the ceremony at which the corner stone was laid and also of students in class.

Class students stop momentarily for a picture.		Handiwork from the embroidery class is shown.
Government, Church officials and other religious denominational leaders march to the tent before the opening of the Centre.		Joy Gashaija stands at the cornerstone.
Women's Ministries directors of the Fields and local church for South Nyanza conference (Mwanza), dressed in the Mosaic T-Shirts listen to the speech before the laying of the corner stone.

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Rwanda Union Women, Ministries Congress Report (ECD)
by Joy Gashaija, ECD Women's Ministries Director

Joy Gashaija preaching to the congress on the sabbath of the 16th at Gitwe

April 6-11 was a special and fruitful time for the women in Rwanda union both older and young women were drawn from the five fields that make up Rwanda union, to come and attend the long awaited congress. Mrs. Consolator Rugerinyange and her team, worked tirelessly each day to make sure that the congress turned out successful. Among the important things they did was to organize the congress in a cool environment away from the urban hassles. The congress took place in Gitwe one of the renowned colleges in East Central Africa Division. This is where the Adventist mission began in Rwanda. A total of five hundred and fifty six (556) women registered for the congress. The invited guests and the men who attended brought the total participation to six hundred (600). Activities covered Among the congress activities, they were seminars that focus on Women’s ministries mission objectives and roles current affairs, HIV\ AIDS, stewardship, the rural women and her welfare, poverty alleviation workshop e.g. making soap, Vaseline, medicinal plants, processing Soya milk and other Soya foods , family issues, counseling skills and last but not least seeking God through the power of prayer.

The theme for the congress
The theme for the congress was “Be healthy and serve God” the slogan was “women of vision we serve”.

The women actively participated in the different activities and left the congress better than they had come. Testimonies given during the evaluation stage revealed the immediate positive effects of the congress on the participants. Facilitators Facilitators were drawn from the different levels of the church, the AIDS Commission (CNLS) the world relief organization, the Rwanda government and other church denominations. Invited guests Among the invited guests was the Anglican Archbishop of Rwanda, Government officials, the chairman of the AIDS Commission, officials from World Relief Agency and officials from the Rwanda union.

The Sabbath at Gitwe during the congress

Challenges and observations during the congress

1. Some women could neither write nor read, as a result some of the already addressed issues were asked and re addressed again verbally.
2. The handout distributed at the congress may never be useful for some women due to illiteracy.
3. It was also noted from the various questions asked by the women, that the fundamental beliefs were still either misinterpreted or ignored in some cases.
4. Issues of dressing, hair styles, foods, Sabbath observance are a major focus and therefore hinderers to the spiritual advancements of some women in Rwanda.
5. Family plan was another issue, majority of the women still belief that family planning is a sin, and as a result a good number of women are producing as many as eight or more children, regardless of their financial or health status.

Challenges to the government and the church were as follows; The women requested Rwanda government to: Empower women through training Provide HIV/ AIDS testing facilities for the women in the rural areas The church was requested to show care for the widows and AIDS orphans, by initiating or establishing caring centers for those who have no parental care, food or love.

Women attending the congress at Gitwe

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Hope Channel invites the Rwanda Union Women's Ministries to share their mission (ECD)

"After the Rwanda Union Advisory, the Hope Channel invited the Rwanda Union Women's Ministries directors to present to the nation the agenda and plans they have for the women. Their main agenda was to touch the heart of the women and to encourage every woman in Rwanda Union to use the gifts the Lord has given them to touch other women in the nation. They referred to the word of God and encouraged all women in Rwanda to serve God in all they do."

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