WILLS POINT, TX — Millions of “invisible” widows are living as social outcasts and crying out to be seen, global mission agency GFA World reports on International Widows Day, June 23.
Across Africa and Asia, many widows fall into extreme poverty after their husbands die. Even more devastating, in some areas, many are also shunned by their family and neighbors—and not even allowed to eat with them.
“In some places, it isn’t uncommon for adult children to cast their widowed mother out of the home,” said Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan, president of Texas-based GFA World. In certain cultures, a widow is seen as cursed following her husband’s death.
International Widows Day, an annual event, spotlights the “unseen” crisis facing many of the world’s 258 million widows—a staggering number equal to more than the combined populations of the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain.
In South Asia, 65-year-old Saadet was essentially left to fend for herself after her husband died. She survived on a small weekly ration of rice provided by a welfare agency.
Alone, Saadet gave up all hope—too old to work, and unlikely to be offered employment anyway because of the cultural stigma surrounding widows.
But then a team of women missionaries—known as Sisters of the Cross—came to her village. They listened to her struggles, cleaned her room, washed her clothes, and combed her hair.
Humble Servants, Big Hearts
The “Sisters”—specially trained national missionaries supported by GFA World—visit overlooked communities, often on foot, to be “the hands and feet of Christ.” They wear a simple handspun sari of the type once worn by the lowliest servants in Asia, a symbol of their service and humility.
Teams of Sisters visit widows, women who face discrimination, and leprosy colonies—cleaning wounds, trimming nails, and showing the most neglected women “the love of Christ,” Bishop Daniel said.
The Sisters also teach widows like Saadet how to read and write—giving them a sense of self-worth.
Saadet is actively participating at the local church, and her prayers were answered when one of her sons took her under his protection.
“Christ is with me,” Saadet said. “I thank Him for the sisters who take care of me.”
Tears of Love
The Sisters see so much sorrow and brokenness that they often have to fight back tears.
“When I see this mother,” said one of them, “I see my mother.”
She added, “When we return to our room, we close the door and shed many tears for them.”
GFA World recently expanded its Sisters of the Cross ministry into Africa.
“These invisible widows need to be seen,” Bishop Daniel said. “They need to experience the tender love God has for them.”
PHOTO CUTLINE: INVISIBLE WIDOWS: Millions of ‘invisible’ widows across Africa and Asia are living as social outcasts and crying out to be seen, global mission agency GFA World reports on International Widows Day, June 23.
MEDIA: To schedule an interview with Bishop Daniel, contact: Clem Boyd, Director of Public Relations, at [email protected], or text or call him at 724.930.4003.
About GFA World
GFA World (www.gfa.org) is a leading faith-based global missions agency, helping thousands of national missionaries bring vital assistance and spiritual hope to millions across the world, especially in Africa and Asia, and sharing the love of God. In a typical year, this includes thousands of community development projects that benefit downtrodden families and their children, free medical camps conducted in hundreds of villages and remote communities, and more than 150,000 families provided with the means to break the cycle of poverty through income-generating gifts. More than 40,000 freshwater wells have been drilled since 2007, hundreds of thousands of women are now empowered through literacy training, and Christ-motivated ministry takes place every day throughout 18 nations. GFA World has launched programs in Africa, starting with compassion projects in Rwanda. For all the latest news, visit the Press Room at https://gfanews.org/news.
