United under God’s tent to serve the needy in Paraguay

PARAGUAY — Next year, the Women’s World Day of Prayer (WWDP) movement (see box) turns its attention once again to South America. Its chosen country is Paraguay, one of the poorest in the world. Its chosen theme is ‘United Under God’s Tent’, emphasising that, from its very beginnings over a century ago, WWDP has offered women the opportunity to pray, worship and work together ecumenically.

(Top) Smiling boy, Paraguay. Photo: Hosanna Ministries (PAR06DJ-5.JPG). Smiling girl, Paraguay. Photo: Hosanna Ministries (PAR06DJ-3.JPG)

Each year on the first Friday in March, women from more than 170 countries and regions observe a common day of prayer under the banner of the Women’s World Day of Prayer (WWDP). Through special worship services held on a rolling basis on this day, and through ongoing prayer and service throughout the year, women from many different social and religious backgrounds affirm that “prayer and action are inseparable and that both have immeasurable influence in the world”.      As well as affirming their faith and sharing their hopes and fears through prayer, these women show in many practical ways their concern for the world, especially for those in need. The WWDP worship service, which is translated into over 60 languages and 1,000 dialects, has a different theme each year, centred on a particular country, and national WWDP committees across the world donate funds to organisations, including Bible Societies, which are involved in Scripture-based projects to help the disadvantaged of that country, especially women, children and young people. National committees may also choose to support Bible work in general. In 2004, for example, WWDP funds went to work in Panama (see World Report 383 and 384), while in 2005 the focus country was Poland (see World Report 385/19 and 389/19). This year, the WWDP movement focused on South Africa under the theme ‘Sign of the Times’ (see World Report 395).

Located at the very heart of the continent, sharing borders with Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia, Paraguay is a land of great natural beauty. It is crossed from north to south by the Paraguay River, which is part of one of the largest ecological reserves in the world. This natural division creates a country of two halves: the drier western plains region and the hilly, humid eastern region.

As in many other countries, unemployment has forced many Paraguayans, especially the young and women, to move from the villages to the towns over recent decades. Unequal land distribution means that 25 per cent of the 5.8 million people are poor, with the poorest 40 per cent of these lacking sufficient food.

Social problems

With unemployment, poverty and inadequate provision of services such as housing, health care and education have come social problems including violent crime and drug and alcohol abuse.

Life is particularly difficult for women and children. Although the birth rate has declined over recent decades, each woman still has an average of four children, and 40 per cent of the population is aged under 15. Some 20 per cent of households are headed by women and many are forced to work informally, often as domestic servants. Literacy among women is improving, but around 10 per cent still cannot read or write, compared with seven per cent of men. Female illiteracy is a particular problem in rural areas, where girls are less likely to attend school.

High priority

Most churches – 87 per cent of the population is Roman Catholic and seven per cent Protestant – are involved in social outreach projects. The Paraguayan Bible Society, too, gives such work a very high priority.

Holistic

Since its formation in 1969, the Bible Society has developed a holistic ministry which involves reaching out to the most vulnerable in society: speakers of minority languages such as Southern Enxet, for example (see World Report 372/16), or those who live in remote villages along the banks of the Paraguay River (see World Report 367/20).

Guaraní

This year, the Bible Society is seeking funds for projects including outreach to hospital patients, the production of a children’s magazine, supplying Bibles in Guaraní and supporting church activities.

Further information about the Paraguayan Bible Society’s projects can be found in the Project Registry on the UBS intranet. For earlier reports about the Paraguayan Bible Society’s ministry to people in need, see World Report 367/20, 357/04 and 348/01.

Further information about the WWDP movement can be found at: http://www.worlddayofprayer.net/ or http://www.wwdp-natcomm.org.

Some information taken from the background material supplied with the service prepared for March 2, 2007. (WR 405/6 - 09/10.06) [6 photos]