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The
Baptist Union of Denmark (BUD) and the Union des Eglise Baptistes du
Burundi (UEBB) have worked together since 1963, when Burundi became
independent, as equal partners. Karin, Niels Chr. and Solveig travelled
through Burundi and visited 11 women’s groups and churches.
Being welcomed in the elegant Bujumbura airport is a unique experience.
In keeping with tradition we were met by a whole delegation of leaders
from the Burundi Baptist Church and Francoise, Magarita, Marie Jose and
Vénance, who are leaders of the women department. The time had come to
meet the women, with whom I had had e-mail correspondence for two
years, and I sensed that they were as excited as I was to finally meet.
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Solveig
and Niels Chr. Nielsen (ex-missionaries) accompanied me as interpreters
and co-workers. They spoke the Kirundi language, they knew our partners
– several of them personally – and they knew the local culture and
shared a spiritual connection. On top of this we benefited from our
on-site contact Susi Baggesen's expertise, which she had gained during
a two-year long cooperation. These were all prerequisites of a
successful dialogue between our different cultures. Linguistic,
cultural and spiritual inexperience might well ruin well-intentioned
negotiations.
The conversations with the women from the women's department were
exciting, instructive and challenging. We established a close, loving,
honest and humourous rapport. We would not have come far without the
above-mentioned experience as well as my own experience of
communication and educational theories. It ended up being a warm and
lovely journey.
Generally speaking our conversations focused on ways in which we could
offer assistance supplementary to the locals' own efforts. The women's
most urgent need was specifically financial means to enable them to
work as inspirators and catalysts by visiting the numerous women's
groups in the different churches.
On the third day we filled up the good four-wheel drive belonging to
our delegate as this vehicle was suitable for the extremely challenging
roads. After the morning prayer, which seemed particularly relevant
knowing the traffic in Burundi, we visit-ed three women's groups on the
first day with Niels Chr. Nielsen as a skilled driver guided by the
women. First visit – Ceyerezi. Seeing the colourful and beautiful women
welcoming us with African dances was evocative. (I so wish I had that
sense of rhythm.)
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Magarita, a beautiful young woman, minister's wife and mother, whom I
had met previously, vividly described the lobby work. They were
cultivating the land, weaving baskets and teaching together as well as
sharing joys and sorrows. Women and families with special needs are
close to Magarita's heart. These include women due to give birth, and
Margarita was one of the women who were in desperate need of our first
aid kits. Solveig and Susi were highly instrumental in making sure
these kits reached the people who needed them. In Ceyerez there was
also a young man, who was an accomplished baker. This made them
consider the possibility of making and selling bread in the market. We
were lucky enough to try out this bread along with a coke.
I can still picture the women in Bwari, Kayanza, Murama, Karonge and
Kibingo – beautiful, rhythmically dancing and singing wearing colourful
dresses surrounded by children or carrying children on their backs.
Brave, strong, proud and giggling with a humourous twinkle, but at the
same time poor, worn-out, tired with almost stony looks and faces
reflecting anxiety. I saw these women walking long distances carrying
heavy weights, their stature erect and with open attitudes. I cannot
conceive how, but they managed to bounce back despite poverty and
repeated conflicts and wars. Numerous rapes resulting in unwanted
pregnancies and children not knowing who their fathers are, are one of
the most serious consequences of the war. Another con-sequence of the
war is the great number of widows and traumatised men. Everywhere we
went we were asked to support the widows in particular.
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I vividly remember the young woman from Karonge, who deeply
concentrating told us about the women and the work. She was reading
aloud from her meticulously written notes. She told us that 88 % of the
women had never learned to read. Person-ally she had learned to read
recently in connection with the literacy campaign led by Susi. “The
need for education is massive. Please help us teach more people how to
read.” We heard this appeal over and over again.
I so wish another campaign would follow with an emphasis on educating
teachers, making it a case of supplementary assistance (my own
comment). Such a follow-up should be aimed at both men and women.
However, experience shows that women and men should be taught
separately. Men have a privileged position and become domineering in an
educational setup within a society suppressing women.
We left the small school after a lovely meal, taking with us pineapple
and papaya, which we had for lunch the next day. What an impressive
strength and dignity in the face of poverty.
Visiting
the women in Murama was an intense experience. The minister Simon is a
highly gifted minister, craftsman, administrator and organiser. The
women benefited very much from these gifts of grace. Many learned how
to sew, read, cultivate the earth, keep goats etc.
A clear example for imitation. Francoise and her co-leaders have made
extensive use of the experiences from Murama as an educational example
when inspiring other women's groups on the remainder of our journey.
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The women from the area surrounding Bujumbura (the capital) had been invited to a meeting with us one afternoon.
Many had come a long way on foot to join us. A lot of young women were
present surrounded by children on the floor or carrying children on
their backs. I only knew a few of them beforehand, but it was a
fantastic sensation making eye contact everywhere. I met smiling and
also slightly shy and bashful young women.
I participated somewhat awkwardly in the dance, and the women
appreciated that. I gave a lesson again similarly to all the other
places. “Woman – know that you are loved and that you are invaluable in
the eyes of the Lord. To God we are all equal regardless of gender. You
have been created with talents and gifts of grace, which you have been
called to exert in His honour – bring forward your bodies as a living
and holy sacrifice to please God – that is your spiritual service. When
you dance, you praise God with your entire body.” God has showered the
African women with the grace of dance, music and singing.
The
women asked Francoise: “Why didn't she [me] come from the early morning
when we finally have someone who can teach?” How I would have loved to
have spent the entire day with them.
You should have seen them when Solveig arrived later on with her bag
full of the knitted sweaters from Denmark. It was a glorious sight. A
mother came over and let me hold her little girl.
1200 black faces and 4 white ones were present at the service in
Ki-bogoye. 30 children were sitting immediately in front of us on a rug
measuring 20 square metres. We had their full attention, because “those
white people really look funny.” I can still hear the children shouting
“abazungu” (white people) when they spotted us. There were
exceptionally many children at church and they participated using their
entire bodies. There were no disturbances as is the case in Danish
churches, and they were praised by the minister when the service ended.
I
was honoured to be allowed to deliver a sermon as a woman minister to
this highly attentive audience. There is only one woman at the
seminary, and she has not yet been called and ordained. Opinions are
still divided on women ministers. But the women said “Please tell our
men that Denmark has women ministers.”
500 people were at the service in Ngagara, including the four of us. I
was allowed to deliver a sermon here as well. Listening to a woman
reading a passage from the New Testament during the service made a deep
impression on me. A year ago she had been asked to read aloud at the
service, but she had declined explaining that she had left her glasses
at home. In reality, she was embarrassed to admit that she did not know
how to read, but now she had joined the group of people who had learned
to read. She was a charismatic woman blessed with the grace of being a
“church mother” I can still picture her face.
When we set out on our journey, the big question was whether it still
makes sense to cooperate. We are aware of certain difficulties. Like
everywhere else there are administrators who “do not keep their
accounts carefully.” It is perfectly understandable that in areas of
great poverty, a fair distribution of the aid given is not a seamless
process. Many years of dependency upon external development aid can
hamper the transition from charity to “supplementary assistance”. Who
has the greatest need? We are all poor! When we have 20 sewing
machines, but 50 churches – who should be the beneficiaries? Support
and partnership are essential.
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The importance of partnership becomes particularly obvious when
travelling around Burundi and meeting the church members. This is when
we feel connected through Christ – an intense, warm and moving feeling.
After
the visit and conversations there is no doubt in my mind that we should
continue to partner up to do missionary work. But the prerequisite for
a continued partnership, as I see it, is that we as a church and a
women's union have one or more country representatives through the
Baptist church in Burundi – representatives who speak preferably
Kirundi or French and English, are familiar with the local culture and
have mental ballast.
Visiting the 11 women's groups and churches together with the women was
an in-tense, exciting, educational, warm and moving experience. How I
burn with love for these wonderful women. By supporting the women, we
support families.
I
pray fervently that these women will achieve equal rights and receive
an education to grant them social, cultural and spiritual influence in
a society, which suffers in so many ways.
I hope that they and we, being the work of God, created in Jesus
Christ, will travel in the good deeds which have been laid out by God
for us to travel in.
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