Abundant Life for the Girl Child
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THE VIVA INDIA TRUST
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40 DAYS OF PRAYER
Table of contents
Table of contents
Foreword
1
Acknowledgments
3
How to use this booklet
4
Day 1 Access to Health
5
Day 2 Access to Health
6
Day 3 Trafficking
7
Day 4 Trafficking
8
Day 5 Modeling Equality in Churches
9
Day 6 Modeling Equality in Churches
10
Day 7 A Bible Study on Jairus’ daughter
11
Day 8 Discrimination at home
13
Day 9 Discrimination at home
14
Day 10 Domestic Workers Abuse
15
Day 11 Domestic Workers Abuse
16
Day 12 Early Marriage
17
Day 13 Early Marriage
18
Day 14 A Bible study on a Little Girls that God Used
19
Day 15 Female Foeticide
21
Day 16 Female Foeticide
22
Day 17 HIV Affected Girl
23
Day 18 HIV Affected Girl
24
Day 19 Life in a Red Light Area
25
Day 20 Life in a Red Light Area
26
Day 21 A Bible study on the daughters of Job
27
Day 22 Low School Enrolment
29
Day 23 Low School Enrolment
30
Day 24 Malnutrition
31
Day 25 Malnutrition
32
Day 26 School Dropout
33
Day 27 School Dropout
34
Day 28 A Bible study on Next Generation
35
Day 29 Child Sexual Abuse
37
Day 30 Child Sexual Abuse
38
Day 31 Stereotyping of girls role
39
Day 32 Stereotyping of girls role
40
Day 33 Life of Street Girls
41
Day 34 Life of Street Girls
42
Day 35 A Bible study on Miriam
43
Day 36 Traumatized girls
45
Day 37 Traumatized girls
46
Day 38 Devdasi
47
Day 39 Devdasi
48
Day 40 A Bible study on an Act of Courage
49
FORWORD
As a result, Christian Churches of all denominations are guilty of sexist attitudes by
minimizing the role of girls and women in society, and by portraying them either as
temptresses, e.g. Eve, or Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, the King of Israel, who was a wicked
and shameless woman. These attitudes find their roots in Hebrew culture from which
much of Christianity originates.
We see and know that in India girls face discrimination. To say this is to say the obvious.
We know that, they often receive less food than boys do, have less years of schooling,
and often work long hours when they are only 5 or 6 years old.
We live in societies where a male child is regarded as more valuable to the family, girls
often are: denied the right of life; denied the right to name and nationality. And by being
married off early or forced to stay at home and help in domestic chores, girls are often
denied: the right to education and all the advantages that go with it; the right to associate
freely; the rights accompanying unjustified deprivation of liberty. These all are the basic
humiliation from the family to the girls when boys are regarded as the pillar of tomorrow.
Neither they are allowed to go freely nor, they able to associate in the society as male
boys do liberally. And this not some entire thing that happens some where “out there”….
it happens with in the four walls of the church community.
This concept has also led the Christian churches to limit the role of women to being good
submissive wives and devoted mothers and bring up daughters accordingly. They were
never encouraged to be individuals in their own right with their own dignity. They were to
be the faithful and dutiful handmaids; always subservient till date this continues to be a
girl’s definitive and accepted role everywhere in society.
To change the situation, Christians will obviously need to join together with people of
other faiths to address the problems of the girl child- and inevitably encounter broader
issues. Hindu, Muslim and Christians in India combine their talents as schoolteachers,
administrators, and legislators to develop programs for women - in literacy, rural
development, and political awareness – through which societal values may be
challenged.
There are four main core principles that define girls' rights, though of course these rights
apply equally to all children.
•Regardless of the background of the child, the parent or the legal guardian, children
must not suffer discrimination.
•Children have a right to life and maximum survival and development in all aspects of
their lives.
•The best interests of the child must be primary consideration in all decisions or actions
that affect the child or children as a group.
•Children have the right to have their views heard and be taken seriously in all matters
affecting their lives.
Nevertheless, progress is haphazard, with many factors slowing the pace of change. A
rise in religious fundamentalism of all kinds - uses religion to oppress women and girls to
restrict their choices in private and public life. Governments are reluctant to make any
basic economic changes which would allow women to control even the most meagre
resources. Age-old cultural patterns which dictates that a girl must be totally subservient
in her family, are difficult to eradicate overnight.
In November 2008, Viva organized the India Cutting Edge conference in Hyderabad to
deal with issues of children at risk in India. One of the sessions there dealt with the
situation of the girl child and an argument was made that the treatment that women and
girls received in the church was no different from those outside it because the church
community was guided less by scripture and more by prevalent cultural norms. A
suggestion was made that there was a need to educate the church on the situation of
girls in India, what are the issues of concern that need prayer and some action and some
scriptural reflections. Viva has no expectation that this effort alone will change things and
wipe away every tear from every eye from our girls. But we do hope nevertheless, that
this will be a marker on that journey.
Refining these principles further, countries at the International Conference on Population
and Development in Cairo in 1994 agreed to:
•Eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child and the root causes of son
preference, which results in harmful and unethical practices regarding female infanticide
and sex selection before birth;
•Increase public awareness of the value of the girl child and at the same time strengthen
the self-image, self-esteem and status of the girl child;
Improve the welfare of the girl child, especially in regards to health, nutrition and
education. Coming to the scriptures, The Bible tells us clearly that men and women are
equal, “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them,
male and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:27) But what happened in Christianity’s
interpretation of this equality in the Bible? But centuries of misogynist interpretation of the
Scriptures has justified the oppression of women and the discrimination against girls.
Dr Shantanu Dutta
National Director
Viva India
1
2
Acknowledgments
How to use this booklet
A sincere thanks to those who wrote articles and helped
design the prayer booklet, especially Rev. Ramesh
Pathak, Ms. Suzana Andrade, Mr. Subhasis Bastia, Rev.
Abraham Sahu, Dr. Alma Ram, Ms. Binita Behera, Dr.
Lalita Edwards, Dr. Evangeline Dutta, Ms. Sindhu
Massey, Ms. Angela Chalthanthlangi Ralte, Ms. Sarah
Jones, Mr. Mathew Daniel, Mrs. Suhasini Daniel, Mr.
Arthur Thangiah, Ms Susanna Cherian, Ms Indira
Kurapati, Mr John Churchill, Mr Russal, Rev Sharat David,
Dr.
Sunita
Abraham,
Dr.
Abhijeet
Sangma,
Ms. Gouknanngai, Mr. Steven Christian and Mr. K
Anbalagan.
The Abundant Life for the Girl Child is a
prayer booklet designed to make you aware
of the issues of the girl child.
Each day of the week focuses on an issue
that affects the girl child. The weekend
selection is a related Bible study.
Editor: Ms. Shiney Joy
Associate Editors: Ms. Barbara Ruegger,
Ms. Blessina Kumar and Mr. Gary Kamaal
Note: “Abundant Life for the Girl Child” prayer booklet can be distributed freely.
It is not for commercial use.
3
The copyrights of the pictures used in this booklet are reserved.
4
Day 1
Day 2
Access to Health
A Little girl
Gift of good health is enjoyed by very few girls in
India because they have a very poor status in Indian
society. They are deprived of the opportunities for
development due to gender bias and discrimination
in health and education.
Many of them don’t have the means to go and see a
doctor or to get help in sickness.
It was the last house that I needed to survey for the day, I knocked and was
welcomed in by a lady called Meena. She was married with four children. As I
was asking Meena if her children were immunized, there was a movement and
a feeble cry coming from one of the bags of clothes on the bed. I looked that
way and Meena told me to ignore the sound. But it persisted and she
reluctantly came towards the bed and picked up one of the bundles, which
was a baby, not clothes! I came forward and looked at the babynad asked
Meena how old the baby was? She said six months but the child looked small
and malnourished. I asked her, if this was her fourth child and Meena said
“No”. I asked her again, it was same answer “No”. “So, there are five children
I asked. “No, only four boys and the girl is not counted” Meena said. The little
child in the bundle was a girl, left on the bed unattended. “Before I forget, all
the four boys are vaccinated! “replied Meena to my previous question. I
spoke to her about the need for the young baby girl to be vaccinated and
explained other requirements like nutrition and so on.
Did You know?
• The largest number of newborn
deaths occur in South Asia, of
which India bears the greatest
burden of 1million.*
• At age 1-4, girls have a 50%
higher chance of dying than
boys.**
I filled in my survey forms but was
unable to leave without telling her
that both girls and boys are precious
and needed to receive vaccination
and good nutrition. I do not know
what happened to that baby girl I
heard crying 16 years ago in a village
near Bajna, a town in Mathura.
Let’s do it!
At every opportunity lets talk
about the importance of
nutrition specially for women
and children at home, with
colleagues, in our prayer
group and with neighbours.
Prayer points:
• Pray for the complete vaccination of little girls
below the age of 5.
• Pray for balanced diet of mothers who are weak and
not able to feed their babies.
• Pray for us in the church, that we would be sensitive to
the special needs of women.
*Source: UNICEF- State of World Children,2007
**Source- National Family Health Survey
Prayer points:
• Pray for families, that they will not neglect the health
of their daughters because of poverty or lack of
knowledge.
• Pray for change of attitude in all of us, so that we
value and care for boys and girls equally.
5
of India-ii
6
Day 3
Day 4
Trafficking
Help Me
Child Trafficking is an inhuman offence against
defenceless and innocent children. Millions of children
are trafficked or coerced across borders to be sold for
sex, for illegal adoption, to engage in criminal
activities, to work as domestic servants, beggars and
fighting as soldiers.
The US government and the UN unanimously agree
that our age has the largest number of slaves in the
world.
Savitha's* life could probably be best described as an oscillating existence. She
swayed between her twin desires of wanting to leave the trade and the
comfort zone of staying where she was and what she knew. Savitha was a
trafficked woman who was torn between two lives, which is a very common
state for victims of the sex trade.
Sahaara staff had built a sound relationship base with Savitha. During one
phase, Savitha fell severely sick and with the help of Sahaara staff, get admitted
into rehabilitation and hospitalization. Over the course of the relationship
with her, hearing and witnessing the love of God, she received Jesus as her
Personal Savior. Sadly, upon her discharge from the hospital, Savitha returned
to the sex trade despite much persuasion. Sahaara staff kept in constant touch
with Savitha. However, within a month, she went missing. All attempts to
trace her were unsuccessful.
One afternoon, a Sahaara staff noticed a lady pathetically hunched over on the
road, visibly sick and destitute. The staff shuddered upon realizing that it was
none other than Savitha. She burst into tears on seeing the staff, realizing and
regretting the helping hand that she had rejected. The staff admitted her into
a hospital for a couple of days where the water from her stomach was
drained. Subsequently, Savitha was admitted into a home for terminally ill
people. Sahaara staff were present by her bedside, nourishing and caring for
her, day and night. A heartbreaking moment was when Savitha pleaded "I
want to live longer. Please take me into your rehabilitation facility now". Two
days later, Savitha died on her bed, peacefully and with dignity.
Savitha's tragic tale may tug at our hearts, but actually it's not over. Seeing
Savitha's deteriorating condition, with persuasion and pro-activeness, Sahaara
staff secured the legal papers for the release and care of her two children.
This protected the children from the prying pimps.
Did You know?
•In India 73 million children under ten years
old are working in hazardous conditions,
missing out on education and facing
serious risks of injury, illness and death.*
Let’s do it!
Create awareness among friends,
church,
neighbours about the
number of girls being trafficked even
today.
*Names changed
Prayer points:
• Pray for a change of our attitude towards
sexworkers, so that we see them without
prejudice.
•Pray that the Law enforcement agencies will be
more active in rescuing the trafficked girls.
*Source: UNICEF's 2006 State of the World's Children
Prayer points:
• Pray for the children of sex workers, that
they receive education and alternative
livelihood option.
•Pray for organizations that rescue trafficked
girls, that their needs would be met.
7
8
Day 5
Day 6
Modeling Equality in Churches
First women pastor of the church
Gender discrimination exists within the church not
just in India but in many countries. In the Bible we
read about how Jesus constantly challenged the
gender dynamics, the Samaritan woman, Mary and
Martha etc.
If we believe that God created men and women
equal then we need to model that equality in our
Churches. We need to affirm men and women as
created in the image of God.
Anita* is a newly ordained pastor in one of the leading mainline Church. It
was a very special occasion when she was given the responsibility of being the
presbyter of a small urban church congregation, more so because she is the
first woman pastor of the church.
Anita started work to fulfill her responsibilities as the presbyter in charge and
looked forward to getting to know the members of her congregation
gradually. She had many dreams and plans of how she would shepherd her
congregation and be involved in the lives of the members.
The first Sunday after she took over appended to be the first Sunday of the
month and as is the practice it was the day when communion was celebrated.
Anita was excited and a little nervous; he took great pains in arranging the
communion table and took extra care in preparing the message for the day.
However to her great shock when it was time for the communion and she
invited the congregation to come and part take of the communion, almost all
the men in the church walked out. Anita was devastated and tried to find out
why this had happened. She was informed that the men did not want to
accept communion from a woman, as women are unclean and not fit to
celebrate the communion.
Anita shared this story with tears in her eyes and said that now, a few years
on, a little has changed, but still there is a long way to go before a woman is
fully accepted as a pastor.
Did You know?
• In a leading Bible Seminary in
India, about 10 to 15 years ago,
there were only 3 women
students in a class of 36, which is
only 8%. At present there are a
few more women joining and
there are 9 in a class of 46, but
still only 20 to 25%.
*Name changed
Let’s do it!
Tell your pastor to have
one Sunday message
every month delivered
by woman in the church.
Prayer points:
• Pray for the Sunday schools to focus on the
work of women in the Bible.
•Pray for the women in church to participate in
the planning committees.
*Source:
Union Biblical Seminary, Pune.
Prayer points:
• Pray for the people who have supported
women for their gender equality in church.
•Pray for the community to accept more women
pastors in the church.
9
10
Day 7
Day 7
A Bible Study on Jairus’ daughter
A Bible Study on Jairus’ daughter
Weekend 1
Weekend 1
Read the whole bible passage then try to answer the
following questions:
Mark 5:21-43
Jesus was the Messiah. Overcoming disease and death were
signs that the messianic reign of God had finally arrived. It was
believed that when the Messiah came, “the blind would receive
their sight, the lame would walk, lepers would be cleansed, the
deaf would hear, the dead would be raised up, and the poor
would have good news preached to them.”
Jairus daughter was sick and at the point of death but he does
not simply ask Jesus to come and heal his daughter, he very
specifically says, "Please come and put your hands on her." In
Mark's gospel, Jesus has already performed any number of
miracles that did not involve a physical touch. Yet Jairus very
carefully requests the laying on of Jesus' hands to bring about
his daughter's restoration. Then he speaks words that were either
the dearest thing any person has ever spoken or the very height
of folly: "Fear not, only believe." In the Greek of Mark 5:36 there
are just four words as in the translation I just gave: Fear not, only
believe. Why did he say this? What did Jairus have to be afraid of
just then? My little daughter is at the point of death.” “My little
daughter, my only daughter, my twelve-year old daughter.” We
know how precious all of our children are to us, but when a child
is your only child, the potential loss of that child becomes
increasingly painful and poignant. Mark tells us the daughter was
Jairus’ little daughter; Luke informs us that this was his only
daughter and that she was twelve years old and was dying. In
Jewish society of that era, a twelve year old girl was on the edge
of becoming a young woman who was soon to be married. But
Jairus’ little girl was not maturing into her young future but her
life was going to be snuffed out prematurely.
Question 1: When the people around us touch our
hands, can they feel His love and power, His welcome
and grace?
Question 2: Jesus too as Jairus for his daughter, want to
heal his daughters in need. How can you help to feel that
touch?
Question 3: Are you part of the crowd that followed
Jesus to see a miracle or want to be a part of that holy
hand which heals?
As human beings, we can imagine Jairus’ inner fear, pain
and consuming sadness. Jairus was on his knees and
begging for Jesus to help her, to heal her. So he went
with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in
on him, the presence of a large crowd of people was an
indication that they wanted a specular miracle that they
wanted to see a great show. The great crowd is never an
indication of having true faith and great faith but of people
who want to see a miracle. Jesus takes the little girl's
hand as the prelude to raising her from the dead. The little
girl is restored to the community of her family, and Jesus'
swift urging that they feed her is a symbol of the kind of
communal joy and sharing he desires for all people. That
holy hand is still available but it now comes through my
hands and your hands.
11
12
Day 8
Day 9
Discrimination at home
Girl Child
A girl child is created in the image of God. Sadly not
everyone in this nation looks at a girl child with
dignity and love. Most often daughters feel unloved
and don’t have equal opportunities as their brother.
Many girls don’t even get the chance to be born;
prenatal sex determination followed by termination
of pregnancy if found to be a girl is still very common
in many states.
Chandra’s* family was happy to know about her first pregnancy. But when
she delivered a baby girl, the family happiness turned around because all the
family members expected a baby boy as the first child. Chandra’s father in law
did not touch the baby girl because of the belief that first born girl is an
inauspicious sign for their family.
*Name changed
Did You know?
• Nine million more girls than boys miss out on school
every year globally, according to UNICEF. While their
brothers continue to go to classes or pursue their
hobbies and play, they (girls) join the women to do the
bulk of the housework.*
Let’s do it!
Give your daughter or
sister a token of love for
being part of the family.
Prayer points:
•For the parents to treat both their daughters
and son equally.
•Pray that the church will take the lead in
advocating the issues of gender equality.
*Source:
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_18177.html
Prayer points:
• Pray for the girls to get proper food and
health care.
•Thank God for the care and guidance we have
received from our parents and family members.
13
14
Day 10
Day 11
Domestic Workers Abuse
Ruthi’s story
If you are in metropolitan city like Delhi or Mumbai,
you can often see a simple clothed servant girl, with
fear on her face, carrying a baby or luggage walking
along with a wealthy family.
There is little data available of what happens to
these little girls coming from poor families as
domestic servant to the city. Some are illtreated and
some abused by the members of the family they
work for.
Ruthi* was a girl of eight when we first met. After the
death of her parents in Manipur due to illness, she was brought
to Mizoram to stay with her parental uncle. They lived in an area
inhabited mostly by people who have migrated from Manipur
due to the ethnic conflict. Ruthi's aunty took her into her care
with a hopeful promise of sending her to school. But Ruthi was
not sent to school, she was used as a domestic worker and
repeatedly rape by her aunt’s husband. Until one day she found
the inner strength to walk to her paternal uncle’s house and
refused to return to her aunt’s residence. When asked the
reason for not wanting to return to the aunt’s house, she said
that her aunt’s husband was having sex with her. The women's
group of the area was informed and an FIR was lodged. Ruthi
then continued to stay with her paternal uncle but she was still
not able to go to school as they were very poor.
Did You know?
• Child domestic workers are a familiar
sight in most developing countries,
where many children are sent out of
the home when they are as young as
five years old to earn money to
supplement the family income.*
• In India roughly one in five children
under 14 year works as a domestic
help outside the family.*
*Name changed
Let’s do it!
Say
no
to
child
servants
in
your
house and promote
your friends to do the
same.
Prayer points:
•Pray for God’s wisdom and strength to
institutions
involved
with
rescue
and
rehabilitation of abused children.
•Pray for change in our attitude towards those
who help (domestic help) us at home.
Prayer points:
•Pray that children are not employed as labour.
Pray for the poor families who have to send
their daughters to the city to work.
*Source- UNICEF , State of world children 2007
15
16
Day 12
Day 13
Early Marriage
Child marriage is a violation of human rights
whether it happens to a girl or a boy, but it
represents perhaps the most prevalent form of
sexual abuse and exploitation of girls.
Addressing attitudes and customs that promote the
practise of child marriage is vital to changing the
acceptable age for marriage.
Did You know?
• India's high rate of child marriage is a
major reason for its large number of
maternal and infant deaths.*
• 47% of India's women aged 20-24 were
married before the legal age of 18, with
56% in rural areas.**
Child Marriage
The incident described here happened in one of the village in Rajasthan. Mr.
and Mrs. Khan had seven children. Khan is a Molvi (a so called “Priest”). They
had three daughters. Sameera*, the child sponsored by World Vision, was the
middle one of the three. They wanted to get Sameera and her older sister
married.
Sameera during that time was in her VIII standard in a Middle School. When
the World Vision staff came to know about it, they went to the village to
meet the parents to discuss the issue of early marriage and convincing the
parents not to get sameera married. World Vision team put three strong
points against the marriage to sameera’s parent. 1. It is illegal, 2. The girls are
physically not mature and 3. We are not against marriage but we want them
to have enough education and skills that they may live happy in the future.
Based on these points, they told them about the ill-effects of child marriage
relating to health, physical and economic aspects.
After a long time of discussing about
the issue, the two staff left the family
reminding them to cancel the
weddings and wait till they were
more mature. The family finally
agreed to the advise from the
World Vision staff and postponed
the marriage until the daughters
were mature.
•Name changed
Let’s do it!
Talk about the harm of
early
marriage
with
neighbors, in church,
youth groups.
Prayer points:
•Pray for families to value girls and not see them
as a burden to the family.
•Pray for the girls who are married at an early
age.
*Source:http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5idf2lD362sI9p_1_DhUbWrFqmKpgS 17
**Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_marriage
Prayer points:
•Pray that girls will be given an opportunity to
continue their education.
•Pray for the development of workers,
educating the society on the harms of early
marriage.
18
Day 14
Day 14
A Bible Study on a Little Girl that God Used
A Bible Study on a Little Girl that God Used
Weekend 2
Weekend 2
Read the whole bible passage then try to answer the
following questions:
2 King 5:1 - 15
Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, was highly
respected and esteemed by the king of Syria, because
through Naaman the Lord had given victory to the
Syrian forces. He was a great soldier, but he suffered
from a dreaded skin disease. In one of their raids
against Israel, the Syrians had carried off a little
Israelite girl, who became a servant of Naaman's wife.
One day she said to her mistress, "I wish that my
master could go to the prophet who lives in Samaria! He
would cure him of his disease." When Naaman heard
of this, he went to the king and told him what the girl
had said. The king said, "Go to the king of Israel and
take this letter to him." So Naaman set out, taking thirty
thousand pieces of silver, six thousand pieces of gold,
and ten changes of fine clothes.
Question 1: What are the issues you can find in the bible
passage?
Question 2: How is the girl reacting to the sickness of
her master? Do you think that this is special? Would you
have reacted in the same way or different?
Question 3: The Syrians where not Jewish, so where did
the little girl learn about God, who was telling her about
him?
Question 4: Do you know girls in similar situations? Can
you reach out to them? How could you bring hope to
them?
Question 5: Are you expecting that a girl in difficult
situations can still be used by God? Have you ever made
such an experience?
In this study we can see, that even though the girl was in
a difficult situation, the things she had learned at an early
age sustained her in hard times. She kept an open and
friendly heart and did not let the circumstances make her
bitter. Working with children in difficult circumstances we
can often discover that they are much more resilient then
we thought they were, but we are also challenged to
reach out to children at an early age to let them know that
there is a God who cares for them.
19
20
Day 15
Day 16
Female Foeticide
A Story of a Brave Mother………..
Probably one of the very first things we ask when someone
has had a baby is: “What was it? A boy or a girl?” The
critical importance that we attribute to a newborn’s sex
reflects a fundamental belief that the life of the newborn will
differ in essential ways depending on whether it’s a girl or a
boy.
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God -children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision
or a husband's will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13, NIV.)
Dr. Mitali* a pediatrician married Dr. Kuldeep* in 2004. She conceived twins,
a year after her marriage. Her life turned nightmarish when her husband and
in-laws pressurized her to go for ultrasound to know the sex of the foetus.
She refused their demand. On April 28, 2005 she was admitted in a leading
city hospital for a food allergy. She was duped into believing she was
undergoing a KUB (kidney, ureter, bladder) test and a foetal ultrasound was
conducted without filling the mandatory form, which is required by every
sonologist before performing an ultrasound on a pregnant woman. When it
was discovered that she was carrying female twins, her in-laws asked her to
drop at least one of the foetuses. When she refused, she was ill-treated
during the course of her pregnancy that was marred from the very beginning
with hecatomb (bleeding). She was asked by her husband to undergo the
DNA Test. The reason is as follows, in her letter to the District Appropriate
Authority, she said “my husband demanded a DNA Test because his mother
said a priest had predicted the birth of a son. As I am carrying two daughters,
he believes they are not his”. Dr. Mitali has gone through a very tough time.
But she has not given up.
Today she lives with her parents and two daughters. After three years of
counseling and trying to make her husband understand the situation, his
attitude remains unchanged. Her two daughters, Pinki* and Nitu* are three
years old. As a mother she worried about their safety and healthy
development. In her words, “I don't want my children to be without a father’s
love nor do I want their psyche to be harmed because of the step that I have
taken- they should not feel that they are responsible for their parents to
separate and also they should not feel that they are unloved and unwanted by
their father and his family”. She is not in favor of divorce and she has named
her children after the family surname of her husband. Here is a woman who
can think beyond her trauma and have a heart of love and forgiveness for her
husband and his family.
Do You Know?
• The national child sex ratio in the age group of 0-6 years (census
2001) is 927 girls to per 1,000 boys. Worse off than countries like
Nigeria(965) and neighboring Pakistan(958).
• According to British Medical Journal Lancet in January 2006 more
than 10 million female fetuses may have been aborted in India in the
last two decades.
• Christian Medical Association of India research on the sex selective
birth in the national capital for third children, when both earlier
children are females, is a shockingly 219 girls for every 1,000 boys
born.*
Let’s do it!
Draw a picture of a smiling baby. If
you hang your picture somewhere
you can see it well, it will remind you
to continue to pray for the girl child.
* Name Changed
Prayer points:
•Pray for
women struggling to save their
daughters from being aborted.
•Pray for the agencies like UNICEF, World
Vision working on issues related to girl child and
women.
Prayer points:
•Pray for a change in our mind set to accept
girls and boys equally.
•Pray for courage for us to challenge practices
like female foeticide and female infanticide.
*Article from Times of India-15/7/2005
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22
Day 17
Day 18
HIV Affected Girl
Story of an HIV affected girl
HIV/AIDS has a negative impact on children from affected
households, it is the girl child who is more likely to be
withdrawn to cope with household chores or to supplement
the family income. The women face the worst forms of
discrimination. More women than men face discrimination
such as neglect, isolation and verbal teasing in both urban
and rural areas.
Rekha* is a special little 7 year old. She is an orphan. Both her parents died of
AIDS. Rekha is also HIV positive and along with her positive status she also
has hearing impairment. Her father's parents took good care of her till they
found out that she is infected. They would have continued to care for her but
for their other son who has a family of his own and fears for his kids. So they
sent her to a special school for children with hearing impairment. The school
also could not keep her as there are other children in the hostel, and they did
not know how to care for her. Rekha is a very sweet child. She plays with the
other kids of the home and communicates very well with them. She is
extremely meticulous in keeping her bed, clothes and books properly. She has
very clean eating habits and doesn't like other children messing up with their
food. She attends a school for children with hearing impairment and is doing
very well there. Rekha faithfully takes her medicine.
Do You Know?
• Around 90% of all children living with HIV acquired the
infection from their parents during pregnancy, birth or
breast feeding.*
• Factors affecting the spread of HIV/AIDS among women
and girls are poverty, early marriage, trafficking, sex work,
migration, lack of education, and gender discrimination
and violence. **
•Name changed
Let’s do it!
Encourage and support
your
church
in
organizing
HIV/AIDS
programme.
Prayer points:
•Pray for healing and strength for HIV positive
children.
•Pray for HIV affected children abandoned due
to death and stigma.
*UNAIDS policy brief: HIV, food security and nutrition-2008
** women and HIV/AIDS-confronting the crisis-UNAIDS/UNFPA/UNIFEM
Prayer points:
•Pray for the children affected by HIV/AIDS
and disabilities.
•Pray for the church that may accept and
support children affected by HIV.
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24
Day 19
Day 20
Life in a Red Light Area
Though prostitution is not legal in India. It is rampant
and accepted in the community. In one of the Red
Light Area of a big city, the operation of the flesh
trade has to stop after 11 pm. The police make their
rounds and round up women for questioning, but
men roaming around in the same area are not
questioned, so they congregate freely at junctions or
cigarette and paan shops. Women who have children
old enough to run errands are sent out after 11 pm.
These children are at a very high risk. Some girls as
young as 11-12 years old have been abused sexually
at such times.
Save the girl
Soni* is a little five year old girl whose eyes light up when she smiles. But her
life is not that of a normal five year old.
Soni is the child of a woman trapped in prostitution. There is physical,
emotional and sexual abuse all around Soni, she was also a victim of severe
child neglect. Recently, Soni's mother succumbed to a terminal illness. Soni
was then taken into her aunt's place, but was not cared for adequately.
Sahaara (an NGO working in the red light area) knew about the Soni’s
situation and took the little girl into their care.
There are many other girls like Soni who need care and protection,
otherwise they may be end up in the same profession.
*Name changed
Do You Know?
• In India. 30% of the sex workers are believed to be children.
There are estimated to be over 900,000 sex workers.*
• There are at least a million child prostitutes in Asia alone
with the greatest numbers in India, Thailand, Taiwan and the
Philippines.*
Let’s do it!
Discuss in church, prayer
groups, bible studies, if
there is any help that you
could do for children of sex
workers.
Prayer points:
•Pray for all the women trapped in the sex
trade.
•Pray for the children of commercial sex
workers, who are at risk of being abused too.
‘*Source: UNICEF- State of the World children 2008
Prayer points:
•Thank God for the organizations that rescues
girls from sex trade.
• Pray for the children of sex workers, that
they may have a better future.
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26
Day 21
Day 21
A Bible Study on the daughters of Job
A Bible Study on the daughters of Job
Weekend 3
Weekend 3
Job 42:15- And in all the land were no women found so
fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them
inheritance among their brethren.
Read the whole bible passage then try to answer the
following questions:
In this prayer booklet we have been addressing several
issues concerning women and girls. In this passage you
will find several of them plus some other issues that puts
children at risk.
By giving his daughters an inheritance with their
brothers, Job demonstrates that he continued a policy
of justice and equity in his life which went beyond the
normal practice of the ancient world. In Israel, for
example, a daughter would only inherit the property of
her father if there was no male heir (Num. 27:1-8). This
is not surprising, since above all, this blameless man’s
righteousness was characterized by a generous
concern for the needs of the poor and oppressed. As we
have learned from the lives of these women, being born
beautiful is a gift of God that must be balanced with
godliness and good character in order to be properly
used and protected.
Question 1: What is said regarding daughters of Job
(42:15)?
Question 2: What is the significance of beauty in your
life?
Question 3: How God used Job daughters for showing
His goodness towards Job?
Question 4: How can you illuminate the testimony of in
someone else’s life?
We also learned that beauty, whether natural or
diligently developed, is used as a source of great
encouragement to others and provides many special
opportunities to us. We must be very careful to be good
stewards with our beauty, wrapping it tightly in modesty
and humility, so that it is not used to dishonor God and
become a stumbling block to those around.
The daughters of Job reminded us that the purpose of
their beauty was to illuminate the testimony of God in their
father’s life. The beauty of these girls was a
demonstration of God for the friends of Job to see that the
‘good hand of the Lord was upon him.’
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28
Day 22
Day 23
Low School Enrolment
Can I go to school?
Free and compulsory education policy of the
government has helped many girls to get admitted
to schools, but there is still a big population of girls
not attending schools. The primary reason for the
girls not to attend school is that their parents do not
think it is necessary for girls to study. A change in
thinking is needed.
I woke up one morning and as I sat alone in my bedroom thinking about my children
and worrying a little about their lack of interest in studies, I saw my help at home
named Shika* silently crying. I asked her the reason for crying, after a long pause she
told me “Didi your children are so lucky!“ I asked her, what made her say so. She
said: “They are so privileged that they can go to school.”
Shika is a 19 year old girl who came to Delhi through a maid hiring bureau and she
has been working in Delhi since she was 13. I asked her if she had ever been to
school and she said she had never gone to one. Out of the six children in her family
she was the oldest .All the other brothers and sisters went to school but she was
never sent. She used to live in a joint family and her father was out of the house for
work and she being the eldest at home was made to help her mother and her little
brothers and sisters.
She often told her mother that she wanted to go to school like the other children.
But when her mother took the matter to the grandfather who was the head of the
house, he would always say a vehement no. The little girl had no other alternative but
to help her mother and her little brothers and sisters.
Time went by and at the age of twelve she lost her father who was the sole bread
earner of the family. Poor as they were now, survival became even more difficult. She
wanted to do something to improve things at home.
She had a friend in the neighborhood who told her about girls who used to go to
Delhi and work as domestic helpers. She took the permission of her grandpa who at
this point did not refuse. She was hurt a bit that he allowed for her to go away but
had never allowed her to go to school. Since then there was no looking back and she
had been working in different homes.
When I heard her sad story I was moved. Here I was worrying for my children who
have all the opportunities to study and here is a girl who craved to study but was not
able to. I being a teacher myself promised her that I would do my best to teach her
bit by bit. Her story also brought realization to my children that they were so
privileged to go to the best of schools and get their education. My children who are
17 and 12 years old told her that they would also teach her in their spare time. She
had tears of joy and she was so thankful that she would get a chance to study.
Did You know?
• The
primary
school
attendance of girls in India
has improved from 76 girls
per 100 boys in 1991 to 93
by 2005.*
Let’s do it!
Contribute some of your
time to educate a girls. What
could you do, where will
you start?
* Name changed
Prayer points:
• For the mothers to speak
up for their
daughters so that girls complete their
education.
•For the parents of girls to use the opportunity
of free education provided by the government.
*Source:http://www.unescap.org/STAT/data/syb2007/11-School-enrolment-syb2007.asp
Prayer points:
•For education of girls engaged in domestic
work.
•For more girls to enroll in schools.
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30
Day 24
Day 25
Malnutrition
Adolescent’s Camp
The patriarchal norms that prevail in our society
have always labeled women as lesser individuals.
We can still find cases where a girl baby is breastfed
for a shorter period than a baby boy, where she is
given less food often only leftovers because of the
belief that a girl’s health is less important.
The quality of life in the future generation cannot be
realized without ensuring all-round health, well
being and dignity of girls and women.
It was a two-day camp for adolescent girls from the age group of 14 to 17
years. There were 50 young girls most of them from the slum areas in and
around Shalimar Bagh, Delhi.
Shashi one of the campers told me Didi, I learned a lot from the camp and I
hope this type of camp happens often”. I just smiled and patted her shoulders.
I talked and mingled with the other campers while they had tea and biscuits.
The girls were so happy playing and talking. It was a joy to watch them but at
the same time I felt a tinge of sadness remembering what most of them
shared about how they are treated at home, especially that the share of food
they get is always minimal. One girl, in the group shared that at least in the
camp she was able to eat to her heart’s content. Nutritional Anemia is one of
India’s public health problems.
The prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls is more than 60%. Food as a
basic need to grow and maintain life is denied to many because they are girls.
The preference for the male child results in lack of access to nutritious food
for these young girls. What is our role in ensuring that our girls grow-up
healthy physically, mentally and spiritually?
Did You Know?
• The health of child depends on the health
of the mother. In India 52% of women are
anemic.**
• While one in every five adolescent boys is
malnourished, one in every two girls in
India is undernourished.**
Let’s do it!
Try to find out the present status
of malnourished girls in India.
Find and share with others the
facts on malnutrition. UNICEF is a
good place to start.
Prayer points:
• Pray for removal of beliefs that discriminate
girls.
•Pray that girls in our families get equal nutrition
as the boys.
*Source: UNICEF- State of World Children,2007
**Source- National Family Health Survey of India-ii
Prayer points:
•Thank God for the nutritious food we eat.
•Pray that we demonstrate this equality of boys
and girls in our homes, schools and churches.
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32
Day 26
Day 27
School Dropout
Second Chance…..
What is the first question you ask when you see a
child? Probably “What is your name? followed by
which class you are studying in?” We ask these
question’s very spontaneously without even
thinking whether the child is actually in school or
not. It implies we value education, the situation of
no education is not acceptable to us. But the irony
is that in our neighborhood communities a lot of
children have no right of education due to various
reasons.
Sumitra comes from a village in Udaipur, Rajasthan, with a very poor financial
condition of her family. After her father’s death the responsibility of the
family fell on the shoulders of the mother who had to work in the fields to
earn a living for the family. Sumitra had to discontinue her studies in order
to lend a helping hand to her mother for earning the livelihood for family.
World Vision ADP, looked at the cause for Sumitra’s drop out from school
following her father’s death. They worked on this problem and involved the
mother into Self Help Group (SHG). Sumitra’s mother earned and saved
more through this initiative. Being of age for getting married, Sumitra and her
mother made an agreement with the Boy’s family that they would let Sumitra
continue her studies even after marriage. Now Sumitra is studying and
completing her high school final exams and is bold and confident of handling
her life. She is a proud students with dreams for the life ahead of her.
Do You Know?
•According to census of India 2001 – the
literacy rate for females is 53.7%
(national average) as compared to
literacy rate of males at 75.3% (national
average) which clearly indicates the
discrimination between both the genders
in context to education in our country.
•India has 21 million children out of
school.*
Let’s do it!
Read
today‘s
Newspaper
carefully, is there anything in it
about gender or educational
issues? Pray for the issues.
Prayer points:
•Pray for Sumitra as she moves ahead with
fulfilling her dreams in the new name with her
husband.
•Pray for the problems like girl earning for the
family, taking care of younger siblings and early
marriages which affect the education of a girl.
Prayer points:
• Pray for equal opportunities for both boys
and girls to attend school.
• Pray for families encourage schooling for
their children.
*Source:http://huebler.blogspot.com/2007/11/india-has-21-million-children-out-of.html
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34
Day 28
Day 28
A Bible Study on the Next Generation
A Bible Study on the Next Generation
Weekend 4
Weekend 4
Read the whole bible passage then try to answer the
following questions:
Psalm 144:12 - That our sons may be as plants grown
up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner
stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.
Question 1: What David compares his children with?
Why?
In Psalm 144 are two fascinating descriptions of sons and
daughters: "That our sons may be as plants grown up in
their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones,
polished after the similitude of a palace" (Psalm 144:12).
This verse follows a plea that the Lord would deliver the
Psalmist family and nation from "strange children." These
"strangers" would speak vanity. These "strange" children
then, were those people who were "strangers" in the sense
of being evil people. The Psalmist concluded that to be
delivered from these evil people would result in children that
were described as plants & cornerstones.
David prays for the continuance or preservation of those
divine benefits which must well-nigh be cut off altogether by
wicked men and domestic foes, unless God should
interpose, in the troubles and confusions which prevailed.
The end he has in view therefore is, that God would not
suffer the signal blessings with which he had loaded his
people to fail and depart.
Question 2: How could you help a girl to be cornerstone
of the Palace?
Question 3: What do we learn about God’s view of girls
through this passage?
Daughters: Cornerstones Polished like a Palace
At first glance, Psalm 144:12 may lead a person to think
of a child as being a cornerstone in the sense of a
foundation stone in a building. But this is not what this
verse is speaking about. First of all, the "cornerstone"
means a visible edge of two walls meeting at the corner,
and the word comes from the meaning of prominent or
bright. Women (and daughters by extension) are
designed by God to be beautiful as if he would say that
they adorned the house by their comeliness and
elegance. This beauty has been corrupted and used
wrongly throughout the centuries, but the fact remains
that women are seen by God as beautiful.
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36
Day 29
Day 30
Child Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse of children is a very real problem in
India, and the situation is aided by the absence of
effective legislation and the silence that surrounds
the offence. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), one in every four girls and one
in every seven boys in the world are sexually abused.
The "silence about sex" culture forbids parents from
talking to their children about sexuality, and frowns
upon any non-sexual intimate relationship with the
opposite gender.
Do You Know?
• More then 53% of children in
India are subject to sexual
abuse but most don’t report
the assault to anyone.*
• Sexual abuse of girls and
boys is" most common within
the home or is committed by
a person known to the
family“.**
Rita’s Story
*Rita grew up in a family of four. She had one elder sister who was 3 years
older than her. Rita wanted to become a doctor. She had a comparatively
comfortable life as both her parents had decent jobs. But it all changed when
Rita turned nine. Her grandparents lived nearby and so did her uncle and
aunts. One of her cousins came frequently to the house and spend time
there; it was on one of those occasions that her cousin began fondling and
touching her. He told her he did it because he loved her and this was their
secret, no one could know or her family would be sent away. Her parents
noticed that she had begun to be reticent and her grades had dropped. When
her mother asked her what the matter was, Rita told her mother, but she
didn’t believe her and dismissed her story. Her mother attributed it to her
extroverted nature and refused to believe the truth. Out of fear and shame,
Rita kept quiet until she was 17 years old.
*Name changed
Let’s do it!
Do you know what to do if
you come to know of a
child sexually abused?
Find out the address of
the local child welfare
committee office and the
child helpline number
1098.
Prayer points:
•Pray that the church would be more actively
involved in talking about child sexual abuse.
•Pray for more awareness on child sexual abuse
in your friends circle and an openness to share
about the issue with children.
*Source: Ministry of women and child development and UNICEF report-2007
37
**Source:http://www.articlearchives.com/crime-law/criminal-offenses-crimes-against/1777958-1.html
Prayer points:
•Pray that girls find courage to speak out
against abuse.
•Pray for the abusers as well, that they be
found and receive help, and stop abusing more
children.
38
Day 31
Day 32
Stereotyping of girls role
Be Outstanding……..
Prakash and Prem had four daughters — Shashi, Kiran, Reeta and Anu.
Though their society viewed daughters as liabilities to be married off with
hefty dowries, and women were largely limited to doing household tasks, this
couple had a different vision. They believed in giving their daughters the best
of education, and encouraged them to be outstanding, in whatever field they
desired to pursue, be it academic or sports, humanities or philosophy.
Kiran in particular had very uncommon interests – she loved sports, which
was seen as a boys’ domain. Her parents encouraged this interest and allowed
her to join the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and take up tennis, even though
she was the only girl travelling with a batch of 20 boys. With this
encouragement, Kiran went on to win the national title as well as the Asian
title in tennis.
Driven by their passion in the fields of their choice, all four daughters moved
on to excel in their chosen vocations. Shashi in the field of philosophy and art,
Kiran in uniformed services, Reeta in the field of psychology and Anu in law
while having also played at the Wimbledon and Asian Games. The second
daughter, Kiran Bedi, went on to become India’s first and highest ranking
woman officer in the Indian Police Service. She has represented India at the
United Nations, in International forums, and has been voted as India's most
admired woman.All this was only possible because of parents who
encouraged her to pursue excellence in whatever field she loved.
In our country, a girl’s destiny is typically mapped
out soon after she is born. Our society has already
decided for her what she can or cannot do, what
subjects she will be good at, what kind of work she is
best suited to, what her role will be in the family.
Not many will swim against this huge tide of societal
expectations and undercurrent of predetermined
mould for girls.
Do You Know?
Common stereotypes about girls’ abilities and roles:
• Girls are better suited to certain typical careers, while other jobs are a
man’s domain, example: if a boy in a family cooks food then he is
made fun of by other members of the family.
• The most important thing for a girl is to find a good husband and
home. She should not bother herself with things like education and
career.
• A woman’s role is in the home. It Let’s do it!
is the woman’s job to take care This is for all the men,
Help your mother, wife,
of the house.
sister or friend in the
kitchen or clean up your
room or find some work
you can do together.
Prayer points:
• Pray for the families to recognize the needs
of their daughter.
• Pray that we will begin to be instruments of
change of the gender bias attitude for our
friends, family and colleagues.
Prayer points:
•Pray for the girls that they may not
compromise with their dreams.
•Pray for girls to have abundant life, so that
they do not lack anything, and receive all the
blessings God has for them.
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40
Day 33
Day 34
Life of Street Girls
Street girl…
Street children are those for whom the street is more than
their real home, a situation in which there is no protection,
supervision, or direction from responsible adults. Girls on the
streets are usually referred to as street girls. There are so
many hardships the street girls face when they are out and
one of them is insecurity. In India many of them are
homeless because their family has become homeless through
poverty, migration, or because they have been abandoned,
orphaned or have run away. They are exposed to the
elements, have an uncertain supply of food, are likely to miss
out on education and medical treatment, and are at a high
risk of suffering addiction, abuse and illness.
Pinky* moved with her parents to the city as a little girl. Like so many others
before and after them they joined the growing group of street dwellers in
India’s Mega cities and made themselves a home under a flyover, next to a
busy train track. Soon Pinky joined the ranks of the girls picking rags in the
streets and added a little bit to the family income by selling the rags.
When Pinky was about 15, she was married off
to a man she didn’t know and who already had
a wife and did not really care to have another
one. She was in and out of his place, back with
her parents and siblings only to return to her
husband again. Then her parents died. She
became pregnant and gave birth to a tiny little
boy who died at the age of three month. Pinky
had not enough milk to feed him properly and
started to give him cow’s milk. Who knows
what the final reason was for his death!
Pinky did not go back to her husband but
stayed under the flyover. She became pray to a
local anti social man of the area. which is the
means for her survival.
Did You Know?
• Within 15 minutes of
landing on a railway
station in Mumbai, a girl is
picked up by a tout or an
agent and is thrust into
the unforgiving world of
trafficking for the flesh
trade or for other
purposes.*
*Name changed
Let’s do it!
List out the reason of children
being on street and pray for
the children who are on street
due to such conditions.
Prayer points:
•Pray for the rag picker girls in the cities, they are
frequently humiliated by the public.
•Pray that God would provide for the saftey and
opportunities to recieve shelter, cloth and food for
street girls.
*Source: Saathi, one of the partners of Railway Children and Comic Relief
Prayer points:
•Pray for the health of the street girls, many of them
have the
strain on their bodies due to early
pregnancies
•Pray for stronger network of Government and NGOs to
prevent trafficking in Megacities.
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42
Day 35
Day 35
A Bible Study on Miriam
A Bible Study on Miriam
Weekend 5
Weekend 5
We first read of Miriam in Exodus 2:3-10, when Moses' mother
could hide the infant no longer after the Pharaoh had ordered
that all of the male Hebrew newborns were to be slaughtered she could hide him no longer, then she placed the child in a
papyrus basket and put it among the reeds along the bank of The
Nile His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to
him. Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe
and saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get
it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt
sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. Then
his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the
Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you, Yes, go," she
answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother.
The incident illustrated two of Miriam's qualities that stayed with
her through her adult life - boldness, and intelligence. While at
the time being only about 10 or 12 years old, with her baby
brother's life at stake, she managed not only to see the infant
saved from the river and Pharaoh's death sentence, but to have
him adopted by the princess of Egypt - all while being safely
returned to his own mother! God was of course responsible for
the saving of Moses' life, but He chose to do it by means of a little
girl who wasn't afraid to go where she was needed, and who
could think fast when she got there.
Years later, at the time of the Exodus, after the crossing of the sea
when Pharaoh's Chariots were destroyed in the waters, Miriam
had developed her leadership qualities as a prophetess and leader
of songs "Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine
in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines
and dancing. Miriam sang to them, "Sing to The Lord, for He is
highly exalted. The horse and its rider, He has hurled into the
sea." (Exodus 15:20-21)
Read the whole bible passage then try to answer the
following question.
Question 1: How God used
Moses?
Miriam to save baby
Question 2: What qualities does she demonstrate as
the older sister?
Question 3: Did you have any younger brother or
sisters? If so, What responsibilities were given you as
an older sibling? How did this shape your personality?
Miriam’s life had been one of service and leadership.
She expressed all the robust qualities that are best:
courage and ingenuity in a dangerous situation, loyalty to
her family, a love of music, story-telling and dance, and
intellectual enquiry into questions about authority and
social responsibility. She remains a model for women
and men today.
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Source: http://www.child-bible-lessons.com/influenceoflittleservantgirl.html
Day 36
Day 37
Traumatized girls
Saba’s story
Millions of girls beaten up, physically hurt and
emotionally traumatized by their caregivers and
family members. The effect of such trauma may
not be visible in the early stage. However trauma
will surface as a girl grows up.
Devi had four children from her first marriage and when the husband died,
she married second time and had a boy from her second marriage. Soon after
giving birth to the son, she died of Tuberculosis. Devi, was a member of
Philadelphia Church Nanglideri congregation, near Najafgarh in Delhi. After
her death, the husband did not care for the children and infact he beat one
child to death. This made the children very scared of their step father. The
stepfather was a daily wage earner. When he could not take care of the
children he sold the elder daughter Saba in the neighbourhood for 500
rupees. The church pastor came to the rescue of Saba. She was brought to
one of the programme centers of the Church, where she joined her other
brothers.Saba was thereafter taken for medical check up and given proper
care. She and her brothers were very scared and had to be counselled and
given special care at the centre. At that time the mental condition of Saba
was not sound, she was indifferent and furious with everyone.
Do You Know?
• The stigma associated with domestic violence,
rape and abuse contribute to the fact that
women often suffer it in silence.*
• Abused women are more likely to suffer from
depression, anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms,
eating
problems,
sexual
dysfunction,
reproductive health problems like miscarriage
and stillbirth, premature delivery, HIV, sexually
transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies
and unsafe abortions.*
*Name changed
Let’s do it!
List few things which you
think can heal a traumatise
girl, like love, care, etc. Pray
for those you know, who
have been abused.
Prayer points:
•Pray for that child caregivers can identify the
cause of the unusual behavior of girls.
•Pray for children that they may not be
intermediated by violent and abusive behavior
of adults.
Prayer points:
• Pray for a safe and encouraging environment
for the girls to speak about their abuse.
• Pray for girls who have not been healed and
are in need of counseling.
*Source- UNFPA-State of world population 2005
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Day 38
Day 39
Devdasi
The term devadasi originally described an ancient
religious practice in which girls were "married" and
dedicated to a deity. This system of offering girls
to deities is most common in south India. The
marriage usually occurs before the girl reaches
puberty and requires the girl to become a
prostitute for upper-caste community members.
Devdasi
An eight-year-old Murali is living in a remand home in Pune after she was
rescued from Jejuri last year. Locals say that when she was just a few months
old, she was found under a bamboo basket in one of the corners of the
temple, with a garland around her neck, turmeric on her forehead, and her
hands and legs tied with a rope. Members of a local labour organization took
her into their custody, but because the child was 'offered' to Lord Khandoba
already, they did not dare bring her up in any other way. A 60-year-old
woman living near the temple voluntarily offered to look after her. However,
since last year, she began harassing the little girl, by forcing her to beg and
pushing her to do sexually provocative gestures to men.
A local journalist got to know her story and with the help of a local social
activist rescued the girl from the from the clutches of her foster mother and
registered a police complaint. She was finally rehabilitated in a remand home
in Pune.*
Did You Know?
• The Bombay-based Indian Health Organization
(IHO) estimates that 15 percent of the nation's
roughly 10 million prostitutes are Devadasis. In
parts of southern Maharashtra and Karnataka
states, where the cities of Bombay and Bangalore
are located, they represent more than 80 percent
of the male and female prostitutes.*
Let’s do it!
Find and share the present
status of Devdasies with
others. Pray for them.
Prayer points:
• Pray for the little girls not to be sold or
offered for devdasi by their family.
• Pray that the government and NGO’s work
together for the rehabilitation of devdasies.
Prayer points:
• Pray for the wellbeing of all the women and
girls distress in Devdasi system.
• Pray for the rescue of the girls trapped in
Devdasi System.
*Source: http://www.eunuch.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2442
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*Source:http://frontlinepunjabiyouth.blogspot.com/2008/06/devadasi-holyariyan-hindu-prostition.html
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Day 40
An Act of Courage
A Bible Study on an Act of Courage
Day 40
A Bible Study on an Act of Courage
Weekend 6
Weekend 6
Esther 4:14-16
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance
for the Jews will rise from another place, but you and your
father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have
come to royal position for such a time as this?’ Then Esther
sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews
that are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor
drink three days, night or day: I and my maids will fast
likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not
according to the law: and if I perish, I perish”
Read the whole bible passage then try to answer the
following question.
Question 1: As a woman what would hinder you to take
bold steps in God’s plan?
Question 2: What fears/crisis would Esther must have
come across? How did she overcome them?
Question 3: Describe the qualities of Esther, how would
you imbibe them in you?
Esther was a Jewish orphan brought up by her uncle
Mordecai. Her beauty and character won the heart of Persia’s
king Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Cush
and he crowned her Queen. The Jews in Persia had been a
minority. Haman having lust for power and pride convinced
the King to kill all the Jews. God overruled Haman’s plot by
using Queen Esther to intercede on behalf of the Jews.
Virtually, Esther had no rights and little access to the King.
Esther was open to advice of her uncle Mordecai and willing
to act to save her people. She risked her life by coming before
the King. She gathered support and fasted before
approaching the King. Mordecai’s role in revealing an
assassination plot indebted the King to him. Haman’s plan to
wipe out the Jews was thwarted. Esther risked everything for
God and won. Haman risked everything for evil purpose and
lost. The book of Esther assures us not to fear the schemes of
men but rather be confident in God. Queen Esther risked her
life to save the Jews, she was willing to face death, she made
her decisions on careful thinking and not impulsive.
The opportunities we have are more important than the
ones we wish we had. It is not enough to know that God is
in control, we need to act with self-sacrificing and courage
to follow God’s guidance. We need to demonstrate
wisdom by humbly standing against what is wrong. God
has placed you in different locations, jobs, positions to
understand God’s purpose and help others when need
arises. Doing what is right may not necessarily make you
popular but it is important to obey God than to obey
people.
We must never create disparity between men and
women. God created man and woman with an intrinsic
worth.
Hence, we see of a girl who through her
courageous act saved a whole nation.
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