Hello. Welcome to Spotlight. I’m Bruce Gulland.

 

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　　And I’m Marina Santee. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

 

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　　The sun sets over the mountains in Western Nepal. Women are returning home. They have worked all day in the fields. Their trip home is not easy. The paths are narrow and uneven. And the women carry heavy loads of grass on their heads. They will feed their animals with this grass. As the women get nearer to their homes, they can hear noises. It is coming from one of the village houses.

 

　　A group of older women are gathering outside the house. Inside, a husband and wife are arguing. The husband is angry. He is beating his wife. The older women outside the house have formed a circle. They are shouting, loudly. They do not enter the house, but the husband and wife hear them. The husband stops. He knows this group of women. And he is a little afraid of them. He knows that people in the community greatly respect these women. The wife is thankful that he has stopped beating her. She goes to the window and smiles. She knows these women too - they are local village women. They are part of the Mothers’ Union.

 

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　　In the villages of Western Nepal, everyone knows about Mothers’ Unions. These groups of women are all mothers from the villages. And they all workto make good changes in their communities. In today’s Spotlight we look at the work of Mothers’ Union groups in two very different countries – Nepal and England.

 

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　　For many people in the country areas of Nepal, life is not easy. Most people work as farmers. People in poorer communities do not own their own land. Instead, they work on the land of richer families to earn money or food. They do not have machines to make farming easy. And there is very little water. Travelling to the local market or health service is a long and difficult trip for most people. There is a lack of good jobs. This struggle to survive sometimes causes conflict in the homes.

 

　　It is in these difficult situations that Mothers’ Unions work. And violence in the home is just one of the issues they deal with. One Mothers’ Union member explained:

 

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　　‘The Mothers’ Union do many things. You see these small foot paths? We helped to build them. We collected money from the village people in our community. Then, we went to our local government man. We told him, “You have to help us. We can give you some money. You can provide the work.” And now we have these good footpaths.'

 

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　　Some villages do not have a footpath. For people in these villages, travelling to the local market or school is difficult, and even dangerous. Having a good footpath makes life much easier for families. They can make more money at the market. They can get to health centers more quickly. And children can get to school.

 

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　　Another way Mothers’ Unions work is to gather money for community needs. For example, some groups have helped pay for community centres, or farm animals. They also work to deal with alcohol problems. One group set an alcohol limit for all the men in the village! The women in the Mothers’ Unions know that they cannot solve all of their village’s problems. But they also know that by working together, they can make life better for their people.

 

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　　In England, the Mothers’ Union group began from one mother’s desire to improve the environment for her children. Mary Sumner was born in the 1800s in Northern England. Her family was wealthy. So she had a good education and later married a priest. However, when Mary had her first child, she was afraid. She was frightened about the huge responsibility of being a mother. She was also concerned about the environment her children would live in. She worried about the lack of morals and values in society. Mary cared for her children as best she could. Years later they married and had their own children. And it was then that Mary decided to act. She wanted to start a women’s group in her church to support mothers. During a women’s meeting Mary said:

 

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　　‘The power for change lies in the hands of mothers. If women unite in prayer and faith, they can change a nation.’

 

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　　It was from these words that the first Mothers’ Union formed. The groups spread through churches in the England. They were based on the values that Mary spoke about - unity, prayer and faith. Today, the group is an international aid group. It works in 81 countries around the world. In many of these countries, the Mother’s Union works to improve education among women – helping them to bring change in their own communities.

 

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　　In England, the Mothers’ Union works in local communities to serve the needs of mothers and their families. They work in many places – schools, hospitals, churches, even the visitor centres in prisons. These groups have classes and information for parents. In other areas, groups of mothers simply meet to drink tea and talk together - sharing the joys and the difficulties of being a mother.

 

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　　Members also work to change the low morals and values that many people have. They encourage people to lead good lives based on Christian values of respect, love, and faith. This includes writing to governments to fight corruption and crime. They concentrate on issues that particularly affect women and children.

 

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　　Mothers’ Unions are different in different parts of the world. They speak different languages, are of different religions and ethnic groups. But like Mary, they share an important hope. They all want to improve the world that their children are growing up in. And together, women around the world are showing that the power for change really can lie in the hands of mothers.

 

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　　Is there a Mothers’ Union where you live? Would you like to start one? Write and tell us. Our email address is [email protected].

 

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　　The writer of this program was Marina Santee. The producer was Luke Haley. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States. All quotes were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called, ‘Groups for Mothers’.

 

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　　You can also leave your comments on our website. Or you can email us at radio at radioenglish dot net. You can also find us on Facebook - just search for spotlightradio. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.