Re-routing Mission- Church Women's Mission and Evangelization Paradigms to Support Widows and Single Mums

( Photo:  A young girl sharing her testimony of struggles and sacrifices of her mum as single parent raising and  educating  her and how the  scholarship  from Project Deborah will help her )

All India Council of Christian Women congratulates Diocesan Women’s Fellowship of Christian Service (DWFCS) - Delhi Diocese of Church of North India for initiating Project Deborah to provide educational scholarships for children from economically challenged mothers or who are widows and single parents. The strategy of fund raising adopted by these women is organizing fetes. This year a fete was organized on 11^th October at St James Church, New Delhi.  According to Mrs. Mavis Perez Russel, President, Women’s Fellowship of Delhi Diocese, CNI, “Widows and single mums are most vulnerable, neglected, and stigmatized by Indian society. They face different forms of violence and discrimination perpetuated even by their own family members and relatives. Such violence not only affects them but has negative impact on their children. Those mothers from economically poor background suffer much more and have to struggle hard to raise their children. This scholarship is to support and acknowledge the contributions and sacrifices made by widows and single mums to raise their children.”  

Mrs. Russel further opined, “In today’s context, spreading the Good News, mission and evangelism need to be contextualized and we need to re-route mission paradigms. Our efforts to provide scholarships for education of children of widows and single mums may appear as an insignificant effort as the scholarships which we are providing may not be much in the terms of finance.  But through this project we are   aiming   to create awareness regarding the right to life in its fullness and dignity of widows and single mums. Supporting, taking care of widows, single mums, and vulnerable women is a sacred ministry of the church.  There are numerous passages in the Bible which emphasize the need to do so.  Our theology of this initiative is based on Exodus 22:22  “You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.”  

( Photo- Women Church Leaders of  AICCW and   Delhi Diocese- CNI  with Ms Sarita Singh - Education Minister of Government of Delhi Promoting   ''365 Day Zero Tolerance of Gender Based Violence " Campaign through Awareness of  Women's Legal Rights Program in March 2015 ) 

DWFCS- CNI has joined the campaign of AICCW 365 Days of Zero Tolerance to Gender Based Violence. According to Mrs Russel “We already organized a program on awareness of legal rights of women with AICCW to alleviate the culture of domestic violence and abuse of women in March 2015.  Now we are taking the campaign one step forward to end the culture of discrimination and violence on widows and single mums.”

AICCW women’s wing of NCCI encourages churches and women fellowships to commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Violence on Women on 25 November and engage in 16 Days of Activism to end the culture of gender based violence (25^th November to 10^th December). “Our women leaders from member churches are strategizing throughout India to further promote the 365 Days Zero Tolerance to Gender Based Violence during those 16 Days of Activism to eliminate violence on Women" states Ms Moumita Biswas – Executive Secretary of AICCW.