This ‘Mission Moment Monologue’ might be used in any worship service. While it is specific to the work of Commitment for Life, it can be adapted to provide an example of the wider church working in the world.
Leader: We have a special guest this morning visiting from Bangladesh. Usha’s work is supported by our gifts to Christian Aid and Commitment for Life. Usha, welcome.
Usha: Greetings. My name is Usha. I am from Uttar Pradesh in Bangladesh. My people are known as the Dalits. Many of us are descendants of migrant labourers from India when it was under colonial rule. We, the Dalit people, are near the bottom of the caste system, sometimes called, derogatorily, the ‘missing poor’.
My parents and grandparents were farm labourers. They have supported me as I have tried to organise agricultural workers to negotiate for better wages. They have stood by me as I have been outspoken against caste domination. But my husband and his family have rejected my active leadership role in our community. His strong opposition led to violence, and I was forced from our home.
But I refuse to give up. I have resolved to continue to work for change, especially for women and girls who face many challenges. First, we are discriminated against because we are Dalits, because of our history, our caste and our ethnicity. Then there are additional challenges for women including restricted access to decent work opportunities. Older women and women with disabilities are even denied access to public services.
There are about 6 and a half million Dalit people here in Bangladesh. For our daughters and granddaughters, we must continue to work to promote a fair and just society in Bangladesh.
Currently, I am heading our women’s collective. It is supported by the Dynamic Action Group, a project of Christian Aid. Together, with your support, we organise and fight for oppressed communities and Dalit women. Thank you to the churches in the UK, Christian Aid and Commitment for Life.
Leader: Join me in prayer. God of justice, thank you for people like Usha who persist in promoting fairness and justice. Bless us with generosity that our gifts to Commitment for Life and Christian Aid might continue to support her work in Bangladesh and the work of others around the world.
Photo: ‘Usha’, provided by Christian Aid
Story: based on an account reported by Christian Aid and Commitment for Life
