Ubuntu Journey 2014: Zimbabwe Introduction

Ubuntu is an African word and proverb meaning
"I am human because you are human."

Ubuntu Journeys are unique, short-term mission service opportunities for United Methodist Women to interact with the world through mission partners. Ubuntu Journeys are about women of faith coming together though shared mission to address social issues and discover new ways of working together, supporting one another, and growing spiritually. United Methodist Women Ubuntu participants will expand their understanding of issues that impact the world and their community through mutual learning with women from other cultures. Each Ubuntu Journey connects women to women for a faith and mission opportunity that will:

• Witness love and struggle; share challenges and opportunities.
• Enhance cultural awareness; exchange ideas and skills.
• Learn where the United Methodist Women’s Mission Giving goes to support more than 200 programs in 75 countries.
• Understand daily life with Methodist and United Methodist, grassroots and ecumenical sisters around the world.

Together with global sisters, United Methodist Women will share the human experience of worship, prayer and spiritual reflection to engage in mission that will cultivate faith, hope and love into action.

http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umw/programs/ubuntu/

Coming Together for Women and Children in Zimbabwe

February 6-18, 2014

This is an exciting first for an Ubuntu Journey, hosted by the coordinator of the health board of the Zimbabwe Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, established in 2010 to oversee and promote health and development work in Zimbabwe in collaboration with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).

The Journey will include the following:

• Visits to the three United Methodist Church mission hospitals.
• Work in some of the waiting mother’s shelters and the Old Mutare orphanage.
• Discussions on maternal and women’s health.
• Talks on health care for children. 

See firsthand how the Zimbabwe health board is implementing its strategic plan to support three of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals: reduce child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. We will interact and dialogue with the United Methodist women of Zimbabwe, whose strong mission program includes working with the “waiting mothers” who walk many miles to the shelters several months prior to giving birth to ensure they receive good prenatal health care.


http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umw/news/events/item/index.cfm?id=1166