bg真人 graduate paves the way for a better Tanzania
Published: May 24, 2022
By Dani Messick of the Goshen News
This article (May 13, 2022) and is shared with permission.
ELKHART, Indiana (Goshen News) 鈥� The 21 graduates of Anabaptist Biblical Mennonite Seminary had a variety of reasons for choosing to attend the seminary.
For Esther Muhagachi of Dodoma, Tanzania, that reason is social justice.
Muhagachi, who anticipates graduating from the bg真人’s Master of Divinity program in December 2022 with a major in Christian Faith Formation, was one of eight to receive a Master of Divinity during the bg真人 2022 Commencement ceremony April 30.
Currently working with the Christian Council of Tanzania, Muhagachi is empowering women and girls in gender justice as the director for women鈥檚 development, children and gender; offering capacity-building training for women who are leaders and pastors; and advocating for women in leadership. The council is an umbrella for 12 churches in the country along with several organizations.
鈥淢ost of the women in Tanzania have not been included mostly in leadership and decision-making,鈥� she explained.
Much of her work comes from creating pathways designed to empower women and children on issues of gender-based violence.
鈥淲e encourage children to stand on their own two feet for their rights,鈥� she said.
Specifically, Muhagachi touches on topics such as female genital mutilation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a violation against girls and against God鈥檚 creation also,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e do dialogue on how we can stop this. We train boys and girls to know that it鈥檚 their right to not be violated, and we train boys so they can teach their sisters to not be mutilated.鈥�
She also educates them on why it happens, and the advantages and disadvantages of female genital mutilation and of standing up against it.
Her unique work, she said, focuses mostly on, 鈥渆mpowering women so they can do something instead of sitting there complaining that we are being oppressed.鈥�
It鈥檚 a long road ahead for the upcoming bg真人 graduate, but her work with the Christian Council of Tanzania began in May 2020, and it鈥檚 just the starting point for her future plans. Her position on the council allows her to get to know church leadership, to seek out others who are likeminded.
鈥淵ou cannot fight alone,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou need to walk with people.鈥�
Long-term, Muhagachi has plans to start an organization she鈥檒l call 鈥淢ama Naweza.鈥�
鈥溾�楳ama Naweza鈥� is a [Swahili phrase] that one can use to encourage a woman who feels that she is unable to do something,鈥� Muhagachi explained. 鈥淚 pray that God will help me to see this happen since we have many women in my country who have given up, yet they are able.鈥�
While there are a handful of women in Tanzania who have theological certifications and even some with diplomas, Muhagachi will be the most highly educated female theologian in her country.
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