To learn more about this initiative for women, visit
www.elca.org/campaign.
who makes Madagascar a better place to live.” Abendanon is sure that when she
Sthela Hanitrinirina, Malagasy Lutheran Church, is a freshman at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, where she is double majoring in social work and women/gender studies.
with the Malagasy Lutheran Church includes facilitating companion relationships with four ELCA synods and helping launch the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission program in Madagascar. After attending the 59th ses-
sion of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women in March, she returned home for the summer to give presentations at Lutheran congregations about human rights and gender-based violence. She is majoring in social work and women/ gender studies. “The world probably needs
nothing more than bright, educated women who will go into their com- munities and make a difference,” said Jon Lund, executive director for Luther’s Center for Global Learning. “If you want to promote peace and peace building, this is a marvelous way to do it.”
Ramping up for year two Jackson and staff are now working with ELCA schools and global com- panion church bodies to identify the second group to receive Interna- tional Women Leaders scholarships. “Among our global compan-
ions, there is incredible excite- ment around this new initiative for women,” Jackson said. “The chal- lenge for us is meeting their needs with adequate financial resources.” Andrew Steele, director for
ELCA Global Church Sponsorship, added, “At the end of this campaign, our hope is that the International
Women Leaders initiative will fold into the larger International Leaders scholarship program, and that the overall number of women receiv- ing scholarships will continue to increase.” Abendanon, Lai and Hanitrini-
rina are also looking beyond this academic year. After graduating, Lai hopes to
continue serving her congregation’s bilingual worship team. Hanitrini- rina is committed to becoming “a woman standing for human rights
finishes her business degree, her denomination “will be very happy to have somebody who knows how to manage and organize things for them.” And as for winter in Minnesota?
After buying the coat that the sales clerk guaranteed would keep her warm on the coldest day, Abendanon says she’s ready: “Bring it on!”
Author bio: Basye is a freelance writer living in the Pacific Northwest.
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visit.luther.edu November 2015 45
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