What are your dreams and hopes for women in your churches?

My hopes and dreams are that one day women can preach freely in Niger without any shame or fear...That we can have women pastors and Reverends.  Niger

My hope is that women will study theology in order to contribute positively to church law and traditions that disrespect or exclude women.  South Africa

To empower each other.  They say you educate a woman, then the whole world is educated. Zimbabwe

To establish literacy classes.  Malawi

To move away from donor dependency.  Zimbabwe

To mobilize and train women so that they can gain capacities to run some small sustainable projects as individuals in order to alleviate poverty.  To have day care and preschools so pupils can go to school with their siblings, as some pupils are even denied schooling due to having to baby-sit.   Lesotho

We dream of women being involved in community development, women free from illiteracy and social injustice, women fighting against AIDS.  DR Congo 

We want to see women based in the Word of God, and the second dream is to fight against poverty by helping women to establish small income-generating projects by giving them micro loans.   Sudan

My dreams are for women to be able to participate in the decision making in church and the community.   Madagascar

Pray that the church would authorize the ordination of women.  Pray that our cry would reach the ears of others to support us in our fight for survival.   Cameroon

God willing, we are going to teach the effect of harmful tradition (i.e., female circumcision).  We plan to teach about gender equality.  Human rights are God-given.   Ethiopia

How can we pray for you?

Pray for the eradication of domestic violence.  Jessie Fubara-Manuel, Nigeria

Pray for spiritual boldness and wisdom and making use of every witness opportunity, becoming a better servant to our Lord.  Linda Prayag, Mauritius

Pray for behavior change to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS.   Victoria Chihana, Malawi

Pray for women to be ordained as ministers and to be given high positions like church elders and deacons. Esnath Msokoka, Nkhoma Synod Malawi

Pray for wisdom and strength from God as we work and that we would never lack the zeal to do the work God has asked us to do.   Bridget Ben-Niamah, Ghana

Pray for women leaders in their local churches to be committed to raising women spiritually, economically, and academically.   Nada Gaut Kouth Kong War  Sudan

What was a highlight of Tumekutana, and what will you share with your family?

The quote, “Women of Africa rise up and go.  Do not look back.  God is there until we reach the end.” 

There is power in Tumekutana.

Seeing people of different cultures and languages working together with joy and gladness. 

Being together with wonderful gifted African women who are serious about bringing the Kingdom to earth. 

Coming together as women of Africa for the first time. 

There are some sisters out there who care for us as women of Africa.

Utilizing God’s Word to face the challenges that African women face.

Walking together for a better future for African women.

Amazing Grace.  You have to step out to see God’s grace — where [we're] united spiritually and physically, [we’ll] find solutions to common challenges African women are facing.  Women need to wake up now and fight for women’s justice. 

The unity that we have will make us break all the barriers.

That God has blessed churches in America to think about our African women.  God bless them. 

Poverty is not the absence of resources but the absence of freedom to be.  Knowledge is empowerment.  [We need to] establish and sustain self worth...be actively involved in civic and church life. 

How PC(USA) women are eager for the success of this conference. 

Poverty has the face of a woman and something needs to be done to give this woman her position and dignity. 

The desperate needs of women across Africa and the wonderful things they are doing to address them. 

Women are to know their rights; voice out; know your challenges.  We should come together, Tumekutana. 

Meeting and knowing new friends.

The Tumekutana time at night. 

If Christian African women are to succeed in facing their challenges they must come together, influence policymaking in their countries and not shy away but take a bold step forward and talk about them. 

That it has encouraged me to work hard as a church with great confidence.  It has furnished me with a lot of information to do with solutions to use in solving problems women in Malawian congregations meet. 

The vivid exposure of the socio-cultural, religious, physical and economic challenges confronting the African woman, and to raise the hope that they can be surmounted. 

It was God’s given chance.