A new initative bringing communities together around the Bible has led to women’s empowerment projects starting up in the Diocese.
Since last year the communities from Concórdia in the Southern Diocese of Brazil have begun to gather around the Bible and study together.
These groups emerged due the need to better understand the scriptures and to discuss how the words might relate to their daily lives.
During the process, and as the groups began to learn more from the Bible, participants felt compelled to start a social action project to involve the women in their communities. They saw this as a good expression of the lessons they had learnt about Christian spirituality.
The communities’ Bible studies start with a moment of sharing life. This helps them to know each other better and to hear what is happening in their society.
After this the Bible text encourages the people into the Word of God. It challenges their perspectives and provokes their burning hearts to action.
At the beginning of this year the women started a group to make fabric dolls and recycled toys to share with the poor children in the cities where they live and work as community.
This project is the beginning of a more structured project involving community development and workshops on domestic violence against women and girls. This is being supported by SADD (Anglican Service for Diaconia and Development) in Brazil.
These actions are causing the women to reclaim their own space in society and family, as well as in the Christian community. It has strengthened the sense of community and their commitment to the most vulnerable. The project has also helped the women to be more united in their struggle against every kind of violence, starting within their own family and working outwards into society.
Rosangela Hinkel and Gessi Datsch are the coordinators for the project, and Reverendo Jordan Santos is the Reverend in charge.
