Page 26 - Presbyterian Connection, Spring 2020
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Connection
GATHERINGS
26
Empowering Women in Guatemala
SPRING 2020
presbyterian.ca
PRESBYTERIAN
   First Presbyterian Church in Collingwood, Ont., presented “The First Christmas Story,” the nativity story told through narration, music, dance and drama. It was a highlight of Christmas celebrations for the community of Collingwood and surrounding areas. This community outreach event was attended by almost 3,000 people over the course of six presentations. It was a wonderful success featuring a youth choir, mass choir, solos, duos and dance performing in many musical styles and accompanied by the wonderful orchestra.
       Indigenous women in Guatemala learn new ways to prepare the produce from their own gardens. PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL JEFFREY
By Stephanie Chunoo, PWS&D Communications
On March 8, International Women’s Day, we celebrate and recognize the achievements and contributions of women and girls around the world. This day serves as a sign of how far the fight for women’s equality and
empowerment has come. It is also a reminder of how important it is to continue the fight for equality for all women.
Many PWS&D programs place a central focus on women and girls. Empowering individuals is not only necessary for self-reliance but it is also vital for the development of communities and society—an em- powered community is an enabled community.
PWS&D partners work with vul- nerable communities around the world to ensure that rights are pro- tected, access to medical care is established, and knowledge about innovative and sustainable farming is taught. Yet, within these communities women often remain marginalized and face adversity. Gender justice is a priority for both PWS&D and our
partners as we address issues of poverty.
In many indigenous communi- ties in Guatemala, countless women face domestic violence, poverty and discrimination. Amongst these ob- stacles, it can be difficult for women to feel safe to voice their concerns, both in their households and local civil society.
PWS&D’s local partner, AMMID, uses workshops to empower women to improve self-esteem and knowl- edge of women’s rights and encour- age political participation. Women learn about health, nutrition and hy- giene, which improves their home and family lives. Importantly, AMMID also works to ensure men are edu- cated on women’s rights.
Marta Crisóstomo, a 30-year-old mother of a young son and a par-
ticipant of the workshop, is grateful for the support she has received. “Before, due to a lack of knowledge, I didn’t know how what I did impacted the health of my family, especially my son. I learned how important it is to clean my kitchen, wash my dishes and practice good handwashing to avoid illness. Now that I understand I have put what I learned into practice every day.” By the end of the training, Marta learned skills to use in her day- to-day life, which empowered her and benefited both her and her family.
After finding the courage to ad- vocate for themselves within their homes, the women who participate in the project apply what they learn in the broader community. They press to be fully included in civil society and in decisions that are being made which will affect them.
Marta Crisóstomo attends a workshop where she learns new skills and gains self-confidence.
Together, we are working at im- proving gender justice in Guatemala, ensuring women are better able to raise their voices so that their lives and their family’s lives are improved, on International Women’s Day and every day of the year.
Knox Presbyterian Church in Port Dover, Ont., co-hosted the Port Dover Commu- nity Christmas Luncheon. The volunteers comprised of church members from Knox Presbyterian, St. Paul’s Anglican Church and Selkirk Christian Chapel, among other members of the community. Each year, Knox PC strives to reach as many people as possible in time for Christmas so that no person in the community or surrounding area is alone or hungry on Christmas Day. The luncheon is for peo- ple of all walks of life, and everyone is welcome. For this past December’s event, approx. 230 people attended and were served turkey, pork shoulder, mashed po- tatoes, squash, green beans, apple sauce, gravy and all the fixings, along with des- sert. There was also a pianist and a sing- a-long. It was a wonderful event.
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