Aug. 2019 Prayer List – English

Unity Women’s Desk Prayer List  Click here to: See Prayer List with Pictures and Maps. You can also use an automatic translation tool through this link. It’s the best way to read the List!!

 August 2019:  Focus on Education for Girls & Women

I believe in the universality of the Savior, in whom there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female because we are all one people in the saving work of Jesus Christ.     Verse 10 of “A Unity Creed”      (See Galatians 3:28)

Not the children of the rich or of the powerful only, but of all alike, boys and girls, both noble and ignoble, rich and poor, in all cities and towns, villages and hamlets, should be sent to school. John Amos Comenius, quoted by Moravian College. www.moravian.edu/my-moravian/post/wisdom-john-amos-comenius-comeniusspeaks

For centuries, the Moravian Church has supported education for girls and women, and this remains a priority of the UWD. UNESCO estimates that  130 million girls between 6 and 17 years old are out of school and 15 million girls of primary-school age—half in sub-Saharan Africa— will never enter a classroom.  

The United Nations designated October 11 as International Day of the Girl “to recognize unique struggles girls face globally, and their potential to change the world for the better. Girls & women more often bear the consequences of poverty, lack of health care and education, climate change, and other inequalities. Yet when girls are safe, healthy, educated, and empowered, they earn more, have healthier families, and grow economies.”  Pray for girls preparing to start a new year. Consider planning a celebration of girls in your congregation. www.un.org/en/events/girlchild/ 

Pray for all the women and girls receiving scholarships from the Unity Women’s Desk.  We are currently supporting girls and women from kindergarten through graduate school in  Albania, East West Indies, Honduras, Jamaica/Cayman Islands, Kenya, Nepal, Nicaragua, Peru, Sierra Leone, Star Mountain, Tanzania (Eastern, Northern, Lake Tanganyika, Rukwa, Southern, Southwestern Provinces) and Uganda.

The UWD is proud of scholarship recipients graduating this year!  Pray they find employment in their fields. Special prayers for Rev. Mary Kategile as she completes her PhD and for her continued work teaching at TEKU in Mbeya, TZ. She has a unique opportunity to support women preparing for Moravian Church leadership throughout Tanzania. We will highlight specific graduates on our website!

Pray for UWD Provincial Coordinators in all provinces. They help identify girls and women to apply for UWD scholarships and they help process applications. These volunteers are essential to our work – sharing Christ’s love through this ministry.  

There is a shortage of female teachers at many schools and universities where UWD scholarship students study, even at all girls’ schools. Rural schools struggle to attract female teachers.  Pray for women willing to become teachers and for administrative commitment to hiring women to be role models and advocates for girls.

Pray for the new Preiswork Girls Secondary School in Ifakara in Morogoro region, Tanzania.  The boarding school has nice new facilities and a committed staff, but only 1 female teacher. It  struggles to pay teachers as there are currently only 10 students, and teacher salaries depend on student fees.  Pray that the church can help recruit students and support the school until it is self-sustaining. Pray for Moravian pastor Rev. Erica Ludela of Ifakara, who has worked tirelessly to make the school a reality.

Many Moravian schools face the same challenges as the school at Ifakara – collecting adequate student fees, complying with government policies, transporting students and supplies to remote locations, recruiting committed teachers to rural schools.  Pray for communities and provinces committed to supporting local schools. 

Pray for Moravian schools serving students with special needs and for the leaders of these schools, many of whom are women. Remember the Johann-Amos-Comenius School in Germany, Star Mountain in Palestine, and Elim Home in South Africa. 

Pray for organizations providing scholarships for girls & women: Moravian mission boards, individual congregations, the Adopt-a-Village program in Tanzania.   Give thanks for those working to help girls overcome obstacles that prevent regular school attendance – providing reusable sanitary products, uniforms, and supplies.  

Pray for the United Nations Initiative Girl Up (www.girlup.org) and its work to empower middle school, high school and university women through local clubs in 44 countries. UWD hopes to partner with the Salem Academy’s Girl Up Club in Winston-Salem and encourage Moravian girls to start clubs at their own schools.  

Delaida Wilson in Nicaragua requests special prayers for the 26th Anniversary of the Moravian women’s organization UMMON, on August 18 and prayers for unity in Christ negotiating continued challenges facing the Moravian Church there. 20 Nicaraguans will travel to a conference in Costa Rica on Aug 29. Pray for safe travels.

Muriel Held requests prayers for schools in Suriname. Year-end results, especially in secondary schools, are not strong. Students  not passing have few good options. Girls who do not continue are more likely to enter into early marriages they do not want. 

Please keep the Unity Women’s Desk Advisory Board in your prayers as we meet August 19 to consider applications for scholarships and loans.  Visit our website for more information: www.unitywomensdesk.org.