Ministering To Widows In Maasai Land
A combination of factors has led to an abundance of widows in the Maasai regions of Tanzania. Limited access to health care, an epidemic of AIDS throughout the tribe, and an overall lower lifespan among men have all contributed to this phenomenon. If you add to this situation the fact that many Maasai women marry older men (those who can afford the required brideprice of many cows) and the brides are often 20 or more years younger than their grooms, the result is many young widows left behind when their husbands die.
Without the support of a husband, a Maasai widow and her children are at the mercy of the extended family and particularly of the husband’s brother who is traditionally responsible to care for the widow. But many times this traditional social welfare system proves unrealistic, especially if there are no surviving male relatives or they cannot afford to take on an additional family. Without job skills and often illiterate, these women are frequently living in very difficult conditions.
Aware of the hardships that Maasai widows face, HWC pastor Zablon Laizer desired to begin a quarterly outreach to widows in the Esilalei area. His first outreach was held in May, and 24 widows attended a special service at Pastor Zablon’s church.
The widows were each presented with a brand new set of clothes, which were specially made for them. The royal blue shuka with white trim is one of the traditional outfits worn by Maasai women. As each widow received her gift of new clothes at the Sunday service, they were told, “God loves you and has not forgotten you.” The women were so touched by the love shown to them, that many wept.
All of them were prayed for during the service. Several manifested demonic possession, a result of their involvement in traditional witchcraft practices. Four of them had demons cast out of them during the service. A local photographer who had been hired to take pictures of the service was in amazement at the demonstration of the power of God that he witnessed. Though the man was a professing Muslim, he begged Pastor Zablon to come to his home to pray for his wife who was also troubled by demons. (He later did so, and the woman was set free.)
Because of the generosity of a donor to HWCM, this special outreach to widows was funded. The next outreach will undoubtedly bring more widows to the service, as the word spreads of the kindness and honor shown to them on “Widow’s Day.” We plan to present each widow with a box of food staples as their special gift. If you would like to donate toward our next “Widow’s Day” outreach, just send your financial gift and mark it “Maasai Widows Project.” As finances come in, we would like to expand the outreach to become a monthly instead of quarterly event. Our long-term goal is to help develop some sustainable employment opportunities for those widows who are physically able to work. Pray with us for this vision to come to pass!
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
James 1:27 NLT |
