EMPOWERING WOMEN

EMPOWERING WOMEN
 
In the nineteenth century, when missions was predominantly led by men and denominational arms of the Western church, two unnamed British women living in Uttar Pradesh challenged by the need to serve the women in India communicated this to their friends in London who responded by founding the Indian Female Normal School & Instruction Society in Calcutta –the precursor to the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission (ZBMM)- one of the first interdenominational – all woman – mission movement. The objective was “To make known the Gospel of Christ to the women of India through its length and breadth”(Extract from the original charter).

For a century hundreds of single Christian women from Europe and other Western countries came to Indian sub –continent to serve women as teachers, Bible women, Doctors, nurses and social workers. ZBMMF now known as Interserve was the pioneer mission for women’s empowerment in India. Now Interserve is a family mission community where women and men serve the whole family transforming communities to the image of God.

Suzanna one of our Indian mission partner, who lived in North India and now serving in a neighbouring country shares a story from her ministry, “Few years ago I met a beautiful young girl of 15 but look like 10 who lost her right arm and the other injured badly due to an accident in the machine. She was utterly confused and not eating anything. When I asked her mother why did you stop her from school and send her to work. Her reply was that she has 5 children to support her family. Another girl I met about 14 years was looking after her mother who survived a building collapse. She said that she stopped school from the 7th grade and started to work doing household chores.” Suzanna ministers by sensitizing her neighbours on women issues; mobilizing prayer in churches and educating young girls and boys on the biblical foundation for family life.

Nearly 161 years later abuse of womanhood remains a critical issue in most of the South Asian countries were Interserve Partners work. We are passionate in our mission to serve women in need and empower them to become agents of transformation in their families and communities. Join our journey of following Christ through prayer, financial support and active partnership. John Amalraj

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July -September 2013, Issue 2, INFOCUS, Interserve India

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