Damboyan silpojamies lopetti työnsä

Tämä on niin hienoa ja ihmeellistä! Me muutamme maailmaa! Kuten ennenkin olen todennut, niin tiedostan tottakai, että tämä työmme on globaalissa mittakaavassa häviävän pientä. Kuitenkin ajattelen, että jos toiminnallamme edes yksi tyttölapsi säästyy ympärileikkaukselta, on työmme ollut kaiken effortin väärti. Ja tuore Bezuneshin raportti kertoo, että kiitos tämän meidän työmme ei vain yksi vaan paljon enemmänkin tyttölapsia säästyy ja on säästynyt! Bezuneshilla ja Tesfayella on niin vahvat teologiset puheet kaikkea silpomista vastaan, että hyvin todennäköisesti moni poikakin on säästynyt samaiselta toimenpiteeltä.

Bezunesh ja Tesfaye ovat tällä kertaa olleet Damboyassa. Siellä, kuten meilläkin on meneillään kesäloma kouluista. Ja kesälomahan tarkoittaa siellä ympärileikkaussesonkia. Opetus tuli siis todella kreivin aikaan! Tällä kertaa opetusta oli seuraamassa myös yksi silpoja-ammattimies. Etiopiassa FGM on laitonta ja ammattisilpojat joutuvat sen takia toimimaan salassa. Tämä mies onkin pelännyt työnsä laittomuutta ja nyt kun hän vielä kiitos B&T:n opetuksen ymmärsi tekojensa olevan täysin vailla kristillistä perää (Etiopian monilla alueilla uskotaan silpomisen kuuluvan kristinuskoon) hän päätti lopettaa työnsä siihen paikkaan. Myös muut kuulijat päätyivät samaan tulokseen: teemme kaikkemme, että tämä loppuu!

Tässä Bezuneshin huolellinen raportti. Teologiasta kiinnostuneille lopussa vielä hieno syväluotaava yhteenveto B&T:n tämänkertaisesta opetuksesta. Raportissa oli mukana kuva kuulijoista, mutta en jostain syystä onnistunut saamaan sitä tähän mukaan. Yritän laittaa kuvan facebookiin sen sijaan näkyviin. EDIT: Taisin siltikin onnistua, vai näkyykö tämä alla oleva? :)








The sixth work report to ours Partners in Finland
Topic: Theological Reasons against FGM

Dear lovely sister Henrica how are you? We are very fine with our joyful work in Kambata area in Damboya. As we told to you last time this time teaching is about the theological reasons against FGM . So, we taught more than 60 people both male and female also among them were both educated and uneducated. We gave speech in Damboya city in Kale Hiywot Church for 4 days last month. In Kambata area this season is a circumcision season for both male and female because the school isclosed. So we take care for girls life by teaching key persons in the church, like church leaders, women coordinators, youth leaders, prayer groups, deacons, and choir leaders.

The response of our learners was very positive as we understood from their feedback. They said that people die for a long time without any understanding about this harmful practice of FGM. And they lost many children and mothers through this practice. So that, after this understanding they said they will try to teach the congregants in the church and everywhere to save girls from this dangerous practice. They asked us to continue our teaching among people. Also we make the agreement with them to continue our teaching with them.

Also we reach somebody through our teaching in Damboy who was a cutter man. He is educated but he is doing this practice on women. In Kambata area it is traditional way male doing the process of FGM. And the physicians are doing this practice in illegal way. So, this person says that he is doing this work for reason of money. He can get from one girl more than 50 birr and in summer season he could cut more than 20 girls. But now he is afraid for the law and the teaching of the church. There for after our teaching he decided to stop this work.

Dear if you want to know what we teach this time about theological reason against FGM here is our teaching. Please don’t be tired to read this long work report.

Theological Reasons Against FGM

In Old Testament (OT) circumcision was a physical expression of faith which distinguished those who belonged to the Lord from those who did not. God instructed Abraham to circumcise every male connected with him including slave born in his house who was not the offspring of him. This suggests that circumcision was not meant to be understood a sign of racial purity. It was a necessary mark a physical indicator of God’s people. It involved both the confirmation and taking possession of the covenant. It also functioned as God’s indispensable branding of his people without which a male would be cut off from the people of God. But in the Nwe Tesament (NT) it has no function for the physical expression of faith which distinguished believers and nonbelievers.

In OT circumcision has a significance (Jer.9:25 and Deut.30:6). Jeremiah saw physical circumcision as the external act which has no spiritual significance if there is not accompanied by obedience to Lord. He didn’t give much credit for its importance on spiritual life of the person whether he is physically circumcised or not. According to the theology of Jeremiah, practicing physical circumcision cannot make Israelites better than Egyptians, Edomites, Moabites and Ammonites unless they are uncircumcised in heart. In OT physical circumcision was a putting off of a part of the flesh as a symbol of covenant relationship of God’s people with a holy God.

In the time of NT Jesus was circumcised a physical circumcision (Luke 2:21) as a reference to his atoning death in which he condemned sin in the flesh (Rom.8:3) and nailed legalism to the cross (Col.2:14). Christians are circumcised only symbolically in Christ (Col.2:11) and also Paul warned the Christians who regarded circumcision within the value of spiritual virtue, that thereby they made themselves debtors to do the whole and Christ should profit them nothing (Gal. 5:2-3, 12). For this outward circumcision, which is unaccompanied by any spiritual change, Paul uses the term concision in (Phi.3:2) or mutilation to denote the zealous advocated of circumcision. Generally in NT circumcision has no spiritual value.

The Significance of Circumcision in Judaism

Circumcision has ritual, metaphorical and ethical significances in the Pentateuch. Ritual significance was the sign for the particular covenant between God the family of Abraham (Gen. 17:11) and serves as an instrument through which the covenant maintained from generation to generation (VV.10-12). On the other hand it was the means of assimilating within the covenant those who were not related to Abraham biologically (vv.12-13). As the sign of covenant, circumcision served to remained Abraham and his descendants of the covenant promise of seed. The covenant is not just with Abraham but with his whole group and his descendant’s male. The divine promise and human obligation were transferred to the future generation by means of circumcision.

Though female circumcision is practiced among some people, the OT specially emphasizes the necessity for man to participate in religion (Ex.23:17, 34:23, Deut. 16:16). It is impossible to suggest the females are outside the covenant that was given to Abraham but they are part of the covenant. To take part in this covenant, circumcision is not needed for female. But circumcision is needed in the OT only for males. Additionally God didn’t say that my covenant will continue only with the circumcised generation. What can exclude females from God’s covenant Abraham’s generation since they are part of Abraham’s generation and they are the seed of circumcised males (Gen.17:10). The instruction about male circumcision in the old legal code is on the eight day the boy is to be circumcised (Lev.12:3) but the females are not included in this legal code of circumcision.

Metaphorical significance is applied to other parts of the human anatomy, such as heart (Lev.26:41, Deut.10:16, 30:6, Jer.4:4, 9:25-26), the lips (Ex.6:12,30) the ear (Jer. 6:10), and to the initial harvests from fruit trees (Lev. 19:23). It refers to the state of circumcision in Rom. 2:25-28, 3:1,4:10, 1Cor. 7:19,Gal. 5:6and Col. 3:11. Uncircumcised heart is one that is incapable of understanding of fulfilling God’s requirements. Likewise, uncircumcised lips are unsuitable channels for divine communication. Similarly, uncircumcised fruit unsuitable for use. Circumcision was a necessity metaphor in order to in experience Yahweh’s blessing. To illustrate the heart attitude Scriptures writers use the verb to circumcise. The circumcision of the flesh is a physical sign of commitment to God. Deuteronomy particularly is fond of the spiritual usage of the verb to circumcise. Circumcise your hearts, therefore and do not be stiff-necked any longer (Deut.10:16, 30:6). Jeremiah took over this usage: "circumcise yourselves to the Lord and take away the foreskins of your heart..." (Jer.4:4). All the metaphorical significance doesn’t symbolize FGM.

The ethical usage of circumcision was in some measure an extension of the metaphorical usage eg. Israelites in order to be uncircumcised is unwillingness to love God and to obey His commandment of Circumcision (Deut.10:16-17 and 30:6-7) and to submit to His ethical requirement (Lev.26:40-41). Jeremiah underlined that uncircumcised heart was in reality to be no different from surrounding peoples who merely practiced physical circumcision (Je.9:24-26). Within the Pentateuch there may have been a more direct connection between ritual and ethical connotations.

Theologically man is God’s steward on the overall creation of the earth. This idea in his relation to the world and his own life is inherent in the creation history. Stewardship may refer to God’s provision for Christian’s age (Eph.3:9). According to the explanation of Luther, the confession of God as creator implies that the same God created me, my body and my soul, upholds me with his Power. The first article of Apostolic Creed implies that the man is created to be steward of all creation without any exempted part of creation. Everything that man’s possesses, body and soul, all with which he has been provided, it is a gift from the hands of the creators. Whatever he does is, but an answer to God’s dealing with him. Therefore we are living life accountability. As a Christian we should have to respect the gift of God’s dealing with him. FGM is hurting the body of human being. Christians should stand against this harmful practice as God’s stewards for their body and all creation.

Being uncircumcised for woman is not unwillingness to love and to obey His covenant. But it is obeying God in order to do not, what God didn’t command in his word. FGM is not Gods commandment like circumcision of males was God’s commandment in OT. We can develop theology from the textual stand point, but we cannot from inexistence. What the Bible Says for Some Specific Reasons of FGM
The common reason given for FGM is that it insures the wifes faithfulness to her husband and to preserve girls virginity. According to this view circumcision is a tool to control women’s sexual desire. O’Donovan criticized this view by saying female virginity and faithfulness are considered to be important standard to maintain while it is silently accepted that men will be free to seek additional sexual partners when they desire. But the Bible does not make distinction between adultery and fornication (Ex.20:14; Heb.13:14). This understanding makes wife as a tool for her husband. In the Bible both of woman and man are created for the purpose of faithfulness to rule and subdue creatures (Gen.2:26-28). Also God pays an attention to the entire parts of the human body but not only to some part of our body. We are stewards of God’s creation including our body.

FGM considered as an issue of acceptance by the adults of clan. This view is centered on the cultural understanding of marriage. Cultural acceptance by itself is considered as very important. But the Bibles teaching about marriage is different from social belief. Marriage is an institution created by God from the very beginning (Gen.2:21-25). Physical harm and abuse may affect the marriage between husband and the wife. Therefore, FGM have to be stopped. Wenham proposed a strategy to abolish FGM. He said that restricting circumcision to men is of a peace with this attitude. We also support his view since FGM is not the only issue of women. It is also the issue of the whole community. Therefore, it is impossible to abolish it without the support of men.

The two arguments to abolish FGM are the argument from the silent and the argument from the creation. Argument from the silence is a strong argument which shows that the Bible is silent about the practice of FGM. But the second argument is that God made everything good including those parts of women that are important for child bearing and a healthy relationship within marriage. This argument is weak, because male circumcision is not instituted on the spot of creation. And God didn’t institute male circumcision to modify what is not good but for to make covenant relationship with human being.

In general, there is no evidence to support FGM. So we will stand against the harmful practice of FGM through the word of God and within the theological teaching.

Finally, we concluded our teaching by saying if we die tomorrow; we will struggle today to abolish this harmful practice of FGM from Christian community as well as non believers.

We wish all the best for you and your life. God bless you!

Please suggest if do you have any comment on our work report and our theological reasons against FGM. We wait the readers comments, it help us to improve our next time teaching.

                                                     -Bezunesh & Tesfaye

***

Kerroin Bezuneshille rahatilanteestamme. Hän otti asian rauhallisesti ja sanoi tuttuun tapaansa, että ei haittaa, työ kyllä jatkuu vaikka mikä olisi. Tilillämme on nyt n 800 euroa, ja laitan nyt hänelle sen verran menemään. Alkujaan sovimme, että kahden henkilön 3kk-palkka olisi yhteensä 1400 euroa, ja että siihen pyritään, mutta jos ei aina onnistu, niin maksan sen minkä voin. Mutta kyllä kahdeksallakinsadalla eurolla saadaan paljon hyvää aikaiseksi! Kiitos jokaiselle! <3

Terveisiä! Palkkapäiväkin lähenee...

Bezuneshin ja Tesfayen palkkapäivä lähenee, ja rahaa tarvitaan hieman nykyistä enemmän. Hienoa jos sinulla on mahdollisuus osallistua! Elizabethin työskentelyyn on mennyt aika paljon rahaa. Hän näyttää olevan todella intohimoinen maailmanparantaja, mutta annan hänen kohta kertoa itse tarkemmin rahan käytöstä. Tein jo aiemmin Elizabethin tilille tilisiirron, mutta rahat pongasivat takaisin (pankki tietenkin silti otti omansa välistä). Nyt kun lähetin rahat uudemman kerran, niin eivät siltikään ole vielä tulleet perille eivätkä takaisinkaan. Toivottavasti tilanne selviää mahdollisimman pian!

Tässä Elizabethin viesti:

We are doing well. We are in a village called Olookurnono. If possible sent us some money because money now are very few. What is using alot of money is the vehicle because it is a season of rain and also because Veronica was in a day school. I took her to a boarding school and also we helping a girl who has something growing in her chest and the doctors are saying she will stay like that so I am also paying her school fees. The work is going on well very soon I will send to you what we have been doing. I went to the bank and they said to me the money did not arrive yet.

Myös Bezuneshilta on kuulumisia: 

Hi dear, how are you? We are very fine with our joyful work. Now we are on the teaching in Damboya area. This is a new area for the people of Kambata. We are enjoying our teaching about theological reasons against FGM. Also we are all times including issues about sexuality within our teaching. May God bless you and your life.

Suuri ja lämmin kiitos teille, jotka olette ottaneet yhteyttä ja tarjonneet apua yhdistyksen ja nettisivujen kanssa! Kaikki käytännön apu on todella tervetullutta: yhdistystoiminta, blogi, fb-sivut... Myöskin ajattelen, että tätä toimintaa olisi hyvä pitää esillä enemmän, jotta saataisiin enemmän tukijoita. Samoin ideoita ja käytännön apua tähänkin asiaan.

Ihanaa kesän jatkoa jokaiselle! Ja kuten mainitsin, olisi todella hieno juttu saada Bezuneshille vähän suurempi palkka kasaan. :)

Google-kuvahaun tulos haulla Kenya Narok (Elizabethin kotikylä).

Toivoa Kenian tytöille!

Elizabeth ja työtoverinsa ovat olleet todella ahkeria, käyneet Maran alueella neljässä koulussa ja opettaneet huikean määrän ihmisiä! 

We have been to Mara. We went to four different school and we taught them according to classes. There are those who are young and others are 15 years and over. They promise us to change. Their teachers and chief of the area attended the teaching. They were also happy and the chief promise us that he will take a serious action to those people who circumses girls and give them out to marry. We are planning to go back to Mara for more teachings. We are also planning to go to Imariani village which is like 200 kilometres away. We have found a car but it is very expensive because it is a season of rain. Also I need a computer because it is expensive for me to go to Saimber to send reports to you.        -Elizabeth

Maran kylän väkeä.

Koululaiset matkalla kuuntelemaan.

Koulutyttöjä.

Opetus alkaa.

Paljon kiinnostuneita kuulijoita.

Koululaiset matkalla johonkin.

Kysyin Elizabethilta myös lisää 12-vuotiaasta orvoksi jääneestä tytöstä, josta hän kertoi aikaisemmin. Tytön nimi on Veronicah Soila Leikari ja hän asuu nyt Elizabethin kämpässä. Paitsi henkistä tukea, Elizabeth tukee hänen koulunkäyntiään taloudellisesti. Veronican isä kuoli jo aikaisemmin ja nyt aivan hiljattain hän menetti myös äitinsä. Äitinsä kuoleman jälkeen Veronicah karkasi kodistaan koska pelkää, että hänen veljensä aikoo ympärileikata hänet väkisin ja myydä vaimoksi vanhalle miehelle. Olen todella iloinen, että Elizabeth voi auttaa Veronicaa! Hän pystyy sen tekemään, koska me autamme häntä.

Veronicah Soila Leikari

Tietokoneesta ehdotin Elizabethille, että yrittäisin järjestää vastaavanlaisen jutun kuin Bezuneshin kanssa, eli yhdistys ostaisi suomesta tietokoneen (koska ovat täällä puolet edullisempia) ja sitten kyselen esim lähetysjärjestöiltä jos joku Keniaan matkaava työntekijä voisi viedä tietokoneen Elizabethille. Jos sinulle tulee mieleen joku joka olisi lähiaikoina matkaamassa Nairobiin ja mahdollisesti voisi viedä tietokoneen perille, niin ota yhteyttä! Aikoinaan Suomen Lähetysseuran työntekijä vei koneen Etiopiaan Bezuneshille ja järjestely toimi erinomaisesti.

Anti-FGM-opetus leviää Kambatassa

Bezunesh ja Tesfaye lähettivät raportin ja pahoittelivat edelleen viivästystä pätkivän nettiyhteyden takia. Nyt he olivat matkustaneet lähikylään 36km saadakseen nettiyhteyden. Tällä kertaa he ovat opettaneet Sunday Schoolissa ja Raamattuopistossa. Koska Etiopiassa yleisesti vieläkin ajatellaan, että FGM kuuluu kristinuskoon, on mielestäni todella hyvä asia, että B ja T antavat opetuksessaan painavia teologisia syitä anti-FGM:lle, erityisesti opettaessaan tulevia kirkon ammattilaisia, jotka vuorostaan vievät opetuksia eteenpäin.

Minusta on myöskin ihailtavaa, kuinka B ja T avoimesti puhuvat avioelämästä ja seksistä FGM:n varjossa. Usein miehet nimittäin haluavat vaimokseen nimenomaan ympärileikatun naisen, mikä sitten tietenkin vaikeuttaa traditiosta luopumista. Silloin ollaan jo pitkällä kun miehet ymmärtävät, että avioelämäkin on parempaa ehjän naisen kanssa ja he alkavat pitää leikkaamatonta naista parempana vaimoehdokkaana!

Blogilla ja fb-sivuilla on uusia lukijoita ja tykkääjiä, tervetuloa joukkoon kaikki! Pikakertauksena, että Etiopiassa ja Keniassa anti-FGM-työtä tekevät saavat palkkansa yhdistykseltä nimeltä Bezuneshin ystävät ry. Yhdistys voi ottaa vastaan avustuksia keneltä tahansa (ei tarvitse olla yhdistyksen jäsen, ja toisaalta yhdistys ei ole vielä aloittanutkaan mitään jäsenvärväystä). Kuka tahansa voi milloin tahansa lahjoittaa minkäkokoisen summan tahansa ja kaikki otetaan suurella kiitollisuudella vastaan ja käytetään suoraan palkkojen maksuun (pankki ottaa ulkomaanmaksusta osuutensa, mutta muita ylimääräisiä kuluja ei ole). Ei siis tarvitse sitoutua mihinkään maksujuttuihin. Tilinro löytyy blogisivun oikeasta yläreunasta. Jos projektin historia ja synty kiinnostaa, lue ihka ensimmäinen blogipostaus.

Sitten vuoro Bezuneshille, joka ihanan tunnolliseen tyyliin kertoo mitä ovat tehneet:

The fifth work Report to our Partners who live in Finland

Topic:- Biblical Reasons against FGM

Our teaching focused this time on biblical reasons against FGM. Our learners were more than fifty persons both female and male, married and unmarried and the students of Sunday school in the Zame Congregation. We started using different peoples stories. As an example we take one women from Bale Kokosa area. Her name is Obore Kedero. She has lived with this harmful traditional practice of FGM and her vagina is already closed and she can’t give birth more than one child because of this dangerous practice. And also she lives continually bleeding and urine and with headache. She is a married woman but has not had success in her marriage. Then I told our listeners my own story concerning FGM and how I suffered in my marriage life. And Tesfaye assured in his word about my life what marriage is like to us.

Lehmäkin kuuntelee opetusta Zamen Sunday Schoolissa. :) Tesfaye kirjoittamassa vasemmalla.

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Another place where we have been teaching is in Shishicho Bible school. We gave training for first year students in both morning and evening for six days. The number is 25 including girls, women and young male groups and they are married and unmarried.

We are very happy because we assumed that it is possible to reach all people of Kambata through this Bible school students, and it even includes people from Hadiyya ethnic group. After teaching they discussed in two groups and their decision is they are all interested to teach each congregation about the harmfulness of FGM.

This is a picture of our learners in Shishico:

Nämä miehet ja naiset lähtevät viemään anti-FGM-opetusta omiin tuleviin työpaikkoihinsa. Bezunesh nahkatakissa oikealla.

Now we want to show a sample about our teaching of what we taught for our learners. We have been in different areas with the same topic on different levels and different days. This time we have been very successful in our teaching. We came back to our home from Shishicho area in June 21 on Saturday afternoon. We gave training in Zame two week before we went to Shishicho Bible School.

This is our teaching sample: The origin of the practice of FGM is unknown. Also the origin of male circumcision is unknown but it is an ancient operation. It was practiced before the Israelites, even their patriarchal ancestor, come on the scene. The tools used to perform male circumcision at the ancient time were flint knife and other metals. It was dates by Egyptian about 4000 B.C. before it was adopted by forefathers of Israelites as the sign of covenant.

It was not only Jewish people who practiced male circumcision in ancient time, but also Western Semites, including the Ammonites, Moabites and the Edomites, practiced it. But it was rejected by the Eastern semantic speaking peoples. Also it is found in Asia, Africa, Australia, but not among the Indo-Germanic people and the Mongols. It is known among the Israelites neighbors like Egypt, and Canaan but not in Assria or Babylon. Initially it became theologically significant, through its role in Judaism as compulsory sign of covenant membership.

God introduced the physical act of male circumcision as a sign of the Abrahamic covenant: "This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you...Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you." (Gen17:10-11). It was a continual cutting off of the foreskin of the male organ, and it was a reminder of the perpetuity of the covenantal relationship. In the Old Testament (OT) the compulsory sign of covenant is male circumcision alone but not including female. In the Bible it was first described in the book of Genesis 17:1-14, were God commanded the practice as the mark and seal of His covenant with the people of Israel. In this text, it was occurred within the context of God’s renewed covenant to Abraham, following the early contractual relationship.

Circumcision in New Testament

It is remarkable that no discussion about circumcision is found in the Gospels other than the brief reference in John’s 7:22-23 that suggests John’s community was troubled about the issue of circumcision. In the NT self-righteous Jews faithfully practiced circumcision as recognition of God’s continuing with Israel. In the NT male circumcision is not remarkable issue to be included in the church of Christ, but the only thing is faith alone.

The Apostolic church acknowledged a circumcision-free Gospel (Acts15). For all its interpretation of other parts of the Jews liturgy, the epistle to the Hebrews makes no attempt to spiritualize the act of circumcision. Gentiles came to the church and accepted without the question of circumcision within the church up on the Gospel’s proclamation (Acts 10:47-48,11:18). But a sect of Jewish believers aroused and argued that the gospel, without the fulfillment of circumcision, would invalidate the law and make salvation impossible (Acts 15:1).

But we are freed from the bondage of the law, which we cannot fulfill it through our power, but through the death of Jesus Christ. This freedom is from all the bondage that hurts us directly and indirectly. Slavery is not the need of the person. For example the slavery of Israelites under the bondage of Egyptian is not the Israelites need. Like this FGM is a kind of cultural slavery which hurts the body of the person. This may contribute to the spiritual part also.

Sain juuri äskettäin myös Elizabethilta kuvareportaasia toiminnastaan Keniassa, sielläkin ovat tavoittaneet valtavasti ihmisiä! Lisää blogipostausta siis luvassa pian! :)

Olekerin maasait muuttavat traditionsa

Sain Elizabthilta viestissä paljon valokuvia, ovat käyneet Olekerin maasaiden kylässä. Minusta on aina yhtä kiehtovaa nähdä näitä kuvia, afrikkalainen elämä on niin erilaista kuin meidän! Elizabethin kirjoittaminen on aika niukkaa ja saankin kysellä facebookin kautta mitä oikein on tapahtunut. Näistä viesteistä tässä yhteenveto:

The chief of the area, councellor of the area, some school teachers, men, women and children was coming to listen. They promised to change and the teachers will go to their schools and teach the students also. We will go back to that village of Olekeri to see if they have change. We still have money and we are planning to visit another village call Mara.

There is one 12-year girl out of those we went to teach who has already ran away from home because her father had died before and now her mother also died the day before yesterday. Today I am attending to that funeral together with the girl because she fears that her brothers might circumsie her and give her out to a husband. So far am staying with her and also i will support her by paying her school fees.

Ja tässä nämä upeat afrikkalaiset kuvat Olekerin asukkaista:

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Kiitos kaikille!

Bezuneshin terveiset

Bezuneshiltakin tuli viestiä. Kuten aiemmin päätin, julkaisen blogissa Bezuneshin ja Elizabethin viestejä, enkä pelkästään raportteja. Näin kaikki halukkaat voivat seurata tapahtumia ja olla hengessä mukana :) Tässä viestissä Bezunesh kertoo, että palkka tuli perille ja että hän on iloinen Elizabethin työstä:

Hi dear how are you and your family? We are enjoying our grateful work in Kambata area. Dear we are sorry for late giving of information about our salary received last week. Hear in Ethiopia we have an internet connection error. Also we are very happy to hear about the work of Elizabeth in Kenya! We think it is a time of God to save the life of women in all Africa. Thanks to be God our saver. Dear if Elizabeth wants to ask us any kind of questions we will every time help her and share how we can face the challenges of women in Africa. Now we are going to teach within a different area, so we will send a good work report next time. Also we received Finnish magazine through dear Sari what we did in Bale with her last time. 

Elizabethin ja kumppaneiden ensimmäinen opetusmatka kuvin

Elizabeth lähetti paljon kuvia ja "raporttia", eli lyhkäisiä vastauksia kysymyksiini mitä he ovat tehneet. Hauska kuinka erilainen toimintatapa hänellä on Bezuneshiin verrattuna, joka on todella tunnollinen ja suorastaan akateeminen raportteinensa :) Joka tapauksessa Kenian naiset ovat saaneet asiat liikkeelle tehokkaasti, ensimmäinen opetusmatka suuntautui Mosiron kylän tyttökouluun, missä noin 200 henkilöä, oppilaita vanhempineen, opettajia ja johtajia olivat kuuntelemassa! Todella vaikuttavaa! Elizabeth kertoo, että osa ihmisistä ottivat opetukset tosissaan kun toiset taas olivat heidän kanssaan eri mieltä. Joka tapauksessa minusta on mahtavaa, että asiasta yleensäkään puhutaan ääneen ja julkisesti! Usein ottaa pidemmän aikaa muuttaa ihmisten asenteita ja Elizabeth kumppaneineen ovat menossa Mosiroon uudemmankin kerran. No, antaa Elizabethin kertoa itse:

Hi Henrica this is Elizabeth, I am doing well and now I will send to you what we have doing. Here is some pictures. The school girls are the one that we have taught. The picture with three girls are the ones who have already said no to FGM. The woman with the baby is among those we have taught. Other people are teachers, chief and parents of those school children. Together 200 people attend also to listen what we were teaching their children. Their respond was that some people supported us while others did not but we will visit them again. We also taught them how to be clean especially during menstration and also we taught the parents not to disturb their children when they are in school for example by sending them to work. We also taught them about HIV and AIDS. So next week we are planining to go to Olosokon village and it is so far that we need to use a vehicle. The driver need ten thousand and ten thousand to bring us back also we need something to eat and were we are going we also rent a house to sleep. (10.000 kenian shillinkiä=n 83euroa)

Nämä tytöt ovat jo sanoneet EI ympärileikkaukselle. Toivon sydämeni pohjasta, että he saavat mahdollisuuden pitää päätöksestään kiinni!

Valtavasti tyttöjä kuuntelemassa. Aihe on todella ajankohtainen.

Minusta tuntuu vahvasti, että tämä pieni suloinen tyttö saa eheän ja kokonaisen naiseuden :)

Elizabeth pyyti lisää rahaa jotta voivat saada autokyydin seuraavaan opetuspaikkaan. Tämäkin kylä missä he kävivät on meidän mittapuussa enemmän kuin kävelymatkan päässä, siksi isoäiti ei pystynyt osallistumaan. Pyysinkin Elizabethia lähettämään laskelman, että minkä verran rahaa he tarvitsevat, niin saamme rahaliikenteen toimivaksi. Jos sinulla on mahdollisuuksia osallistua rahallisesti, niin yhdistys ottaa vastaan avustuksia ilomielin. Tilitiedot löytyy blogin oikeasta yläkulmasta. 

tse olen vältellyt kaikkea yhdistystoimintaa viimeiseen asti ja olen korkeintaan suostunut varaäänenlaskijaksi... ;) Nyt olen sitten perustanut kokonaisen oman yhdistyksen ja yritän päästä selvyyteen kaikista siihen liittyvistä kiemuroista ja monimutkaisista papereista. Nettipohjien avulla olen väsännyt vaikka mitä pöytäkirjoja ja kokouslappusia, mutta olen edelleen todella pihalla tästä asiasta. Jäseniähän tällä hetkellä on vain vaadittavat kolme perustajajäsentä ja "sääntömääräisessä vuosikokouksessa" olemme päättäneet tilin avaamisesta ja jäsenmaksuista. Eli pikkuhiljaa saamme myös ihan oman tilin yhdistykselle (nythän se on vielä mun nimissä) sekä jäsenmaksut päätettyä (ihan vain yhtenä laillisena rahankeräyskeinona). Jos nyt joku teistä lukijoista on vanha konkari yhdistysasioissa, niin otan todella kiitollisena kaiken avun vastaan! Yhteydenotot henrica.fagerlund@gmail.com :)