The idea of addressing the matter of abuse against women and children has been on our minds for some time. We just needed to find an appropriate time to bring it up.
As pastors’ wives, some have confronted abuse at a personal level, others face it every time they offer emotional and spiritual support to women who suffer from it.
It’s been said “Bruises fade, but the pain lasts forever.”
In the next four months, we will do our best to cover several facets of the theme in accordance with Biblical teachings.
We will encourage women not to accept domestic violence or abuse as the natural course of life. We will help victims to deal with low self-esteem, insecurities and complexes.
Men play a very important role in helping us to achieve results with this campaign. By equipping them to be a voice in their community and to set an example to the young generation, feedback will be far more noticeable.
Children need our love and protection. Working with them in schools or day care centres and Sunday Schools, we have the opportunity to identify a change of behaviour or reaction. We can offer support to the child and to the mother if abuse is somehow associated with this change.
Another point to mention is prevention of HIV in cases of sexual abuse, making available basic counselling and referrals to HIV Clinics. These will administer the PSP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis) to prevent the victim being infected with the virus.
Empathy for victims of abuse is absolutely necessary and being available for counselling and emotional support is a key point in the success of our endeavour.
The subject is vast but we cannot rely on talk alone. We need to take the matter further to our families, neighbourhood and communities. We need tovoice our complaints according to Christian principles. Condemning males is not the solution.
If we can make an impact on a group such as our audience in Soweto on 9th August, and this group can spread the message further afield to others, we will surely notice a change.
We cannot do much alone but this does not give us the right to cross our arms and be passive about what goes on around us.
WiA recruits you to take part in this fight.
2 comments:
I take the WiA goal as a pledge to help where i can in my community. I applaude the WiA for taking a different stance on this issue of not condenming men but making them part of the fight against abuse. Many lives and families will be changed throguh this initiative.
A lot of people look at the pastor’s wives and think they don’t do much. This post proves that there is more to the woman of God than just looking pretty and although things here in the UK may not be the same as it is there, I think this statement is true wherever you are and whatever situation you face both personally and in relation to others on a grand scale: "We cannot do much alone but this does not give us the right to cross our arms and be passive about what goes on around us."
A little (with an intelligent faith) goes a long way! : )
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