Women around the world need you to pray
Freeing women from the sex trade. Giving women a voice in Afghanistan. Equipping women to start their own businesses. These are just some of the ways that BMS World Mission is working to empower women around the world. And to thrive, these women and these projects need your prayers.
Empowering women to set up businesses in Guinea
Guinea, where Caroline and Victor are empowering women by setting up self-help groups.
Women in Guinea are underprivileged, often not having the same standard of living as men in society. BMS workers Caroline* and Victor* are helping these women to set up self-help groups, where around 20 women come together each Sunday to save money corporately, which can then be loaned to members of the group. This then lets women borrow money to set up small businesses, so they can provide for their families and the community around them.
Caroline and Victor’s prayer requests:
– Pray for the woman who is borrowing £80 every two months to finance a restaurant, so she can continue to provide for her family and those around her. Pray for success.
– We’re looking for four stakeholders to form a committee, who will then provide training so more self-help groups can be established. Pray that we would find the right people for the job.
Freeing women from the sex trade in Thailand
Paul and Sarah Brown, who free women from sex trafficking.
Paul and Sarah Brown are reaching out to survivors of sex trafficking and women who’ve been sexually exploited in Bangkok, Thailand. They’re empowering these women by teaching them how to make jewellery and cakes, as well as training women in accounting and marketing.
Their prayer requests:
– Pray for ways we can support, empower and enable women who are survivors of trafficking.
– Pray that more traffickers will be brought to justice and that Bangkok’s local authorities will become better equipped to find them.
Giving women a voice in Afghanistan
Women in Afghanistan often don’t have a say in what goes on in their village, where men are generally the key decision makers.
Afghanistan, where our team give a voice to women by setting up women's councils.
BMS partners in Afghanistan are working to change this by creating a women’s council in every village they work in. Making sure that the council is representative of all women in the village, it regularly meets alongside a men’s council which often already exists. This allows women to have a say in important decisions that will affect them, like where the water pipelines and latrines should be built.
BMS workers Catherine* and Rory* are part of our team in Afghanistan.
Their prayer requests:
– Pray for women-headed households in these villages, where men are away working and send money back when they can. Food shortages are predicted this year, and these families will be the ones hit the hardest.
– Give thanks for the local female staff that work with us in Afghanistan – they’re amazing role models. They are showing that women can work and empower people.
Empowering women in France
Christine Kling, a pastor of a church near Paris.
It’s dangerous to be a homeless woman in France, as many face abuse or are at risk of being forced into prostitution. Christine Kling, alongside a group of volunteers, set up a day shelter for these women. It gives homeless women a place to stay, rest and eat a meal, and it’s a place of dignity and respect.
As a pastor, Christine also wants to see more women in France step into Christian leadership. Through training and mentoring, more women are becoming confident in their gifts and calling.
Christine’s prayer requests:
– The homeless shelter requires many volunteers to keep it running. Give thanks for the people currently volunteering, and pray for new volunteers to come forward to join the project.
– Pray that more women in the new generation of Christians in France will feel confident and supported in their calling as pastors.
Providing employment for survivors of sex trafficking in India
Kolkata, where we work to provide employment for women wanting to leave the sex trade.
Thousands of women from rural villages in India have been trafficked into Kolkata to work in the red light district. BMS works alongside local partners offering employment to those wanting to leave the sex trade. The women also receive training – including learning how to read and write – as well as one-to-one counselling.
Prayer requests:
– Pray for the health and safety of foreign staff in India, as they do what they can to help empower women in challenging conditions.
– Pray for wisdom and guidance as our partners look to create a further 200 jobs over the next three to four years for women wanting to leave the sex trade.
– Pray for BMS volunteers Annette and Ron Salmon as they work alongside vulnerable women in India.
BMS has many more workers and partners who are involved in empowering women. From projects in Uganda and Mozambique that work to educate women on their legal rights, to workers in Nepal who provide teacher training, leading to better education for girls. Please continue to pray for BMS World Mission workers all over the world as they help women see their God-given value.
*Names changed to protect identity
This story was originally published on the BMS World Mission website and is used with permission.
BMS World Mission, 21/02/2018