To begin teaching Dorcas work among the African natives is far from an easy task. The ordinary African mind does not comprehend the meaning of the scripture, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." It is rather better understood in its reverse meaning, "It is more blessed to receive than to give." (Why sit down and work on a garment for hours perhaps, and then in the end have to give it away to another! Have you ever heard of such a crazy idea? Oh, yes, the European women can do things like that, but we African women, never!) They just laugh at such madness.
At the East African union training school, known as Bugema Missionary College, my husband conducts a two-year English evangelist course. The students come in from the three East African mission fields of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanganyika; and each of these men brings his wife and family for the two years. They all live in a nice village of cottages built of red brick. From many different tribes they come to this college situated near Kampala, the capital of Uganda. While the men are receiving their training, the women are taught hygiene, child welfare, sewing, knitting, better diet, and Bible. It was with such women that the first Dorcas Society of the East African Union Mission was formed. This is as it should be, because we believe that these women, after having tasted the joys of service for others, will go back to their homes to raise up many such societies in their churches while their husbands do the pastoral and evangelistic service.
The whole of the first year of this course is taken up with preparing the hearts and minds and hands of these women to know and under stand and do that for which all Dorcas Societies stand: (a) working for others; (6) giving their time for others; (c) using every opportunity found to show the unselfish spirit, as from Christ Himself. As the first year comes to its close these women do have a somewhat faint idea of what it is all about.
In their daily classes the husbands the student-evangelists have also been introduced to the Dorcas work and its immense value in the church, not only the value to those in need, but also the spiritual value in practicing the denial of selfish motives. They have learned how vital it is to keep high the spirit of Jesus. They have realized how good it would be to have a society in each church, yes, even in the African churches. Thus at the close of the first year husbands are also prepared so that they can stand with their wives and even encourage them by helping them to know how it should be done. The cooperation of the men is an absolute necessity, as you will all agree. Thus as we open the second year of the evangelist course, both the student-evangelists and their wives are ready for the launching of the plan.
A Typical Meeting
I would like to describe the way we come together for our meetings. As I come down from our little hill on my bicycle I can see the women converging on our small meeting place, each one carrying a baby, a Bible, and the baby's bedroll in a bundle on her head. The first thing they do is to put the babies down on their little mats on the floor to sleep. When one cries it is picked up, fed, and then put down again, and so on all through the meeting. We open our meeting with a Scripture reading. This we have to do in three different languages, and I have had as many as seven different tribes rep resented. Then there is a season of prayer, fol lowed by the secretary's report. There are some remarks from the leader, followed perhaps by a discussion of plans, and then work begins.
First Dorcas Training Class
The first Dorcas Society in East Africa among the African churches was formed in January, 1949. Someone gave me a used garment, from which we cut out little vests and trimmed them colorfully. Then the District Commissioner's wife, who was a good friend of mine and a good Christian woman, hearing of this new kind of work among African women, gave me some used garments and also remnants of new material. These were all carefully used and made into garments for children. Each quarter we held a small sale, and before the sale began we gave a prepared program. Of course, all the husbands were invited, as well as others from the neighborhood. We almost had to drag the men to attend this first sale and program. Somehow they must have thought, "This is a women's affair, not a man's place; what do we want here?" However, when the second quarter's special meeting was announced all the men were eager to be present.
The program ran something like this: Scripture reading, prayer, words of encouragement to the women for the work they had done in preparation for the sale. Then my husband, as principal of the training college and teacher of the evangelists, usually gave a good promotion talk. Thus the men began to realize that this work was not just a women's affair but was of importance to every church. Later, when it had gotten into its stride and the Dorcas Society was well supported, instead of Pastor Hyde's giving the promotion talk, I would ask one of the African men to talk. Considering how indifferent to the whole affair they had been at first, it was surprising how good a promotion talk an African would give.
The garments that we make for sale are mainly for children, such as sweaters, vests and other underwear, and dresses. These have a ready sale, and we never have had too many of them. At the time of our quarterly sale we make cash gifts to the poor, also gifts of soap, garments, or sometimes a blanket. To each mother who lives on the mission we present a little shirt and two squares, ready for the imminent arrival of her new baby. There is a special reason why we have planned always to present this little gift before the baby is born. It is against African custom to make any preparation for the coming child. The heathen African feels that to make preparation is to invite trouble, on account of their fear of evil spirits, and this fear is carried over in their hearts, even though not expressed, for some time after they learn Christianity. Sometimes they have the fear but cannot now define what they fear. At first the expectant mother may hesitate to come forward and thus publicly acknowledge her expectancy, but nevertheless she is eager to have the proffered gift; and it is not long before the women of the Dorcas Society are reckoning out which woman is to be the next to receive such a gift. In this way the Dorcas Society has broken down a bad African custom, and has overcome for them the fear of making outward preparation for the expected child. During our first year we gave away twelve baby sets; and what a joy it was for the Dorcas women to pass out these little gifts of their own work and sacrifice! The men showed their appreciation by clapping their hands. So they began to learn that, after all, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Each week I try to get the women to take home some little piece of handwork to complete during the week in their own home and in their own time. At first they looked at me in amazement. "How can we find time at home? It is hard enough to spare the time to come here to the meeting. We have so many children to care for, how can we find time to do this kind of work? Then we have the food gardens too, wood to collect, water to fetch. Do you not know that we are really busy?" "But," I quietly said, "I see you women sometimes sitting talking together for quite long stretches of time. Just try to use some of those minutes to work for others, and you will find that the more you give of your time, the more your time will be mysteriously blessed, and your heart will be blessed with a new kind of happiness. Just try it; it always works, as you will see."
Some of those few women who had taken work home to do came back to the meeting the next week with their faces beaming and eager to show how much they had done, and, believe it or not, as the weeks lengthened into months some of the women even came and asked for work to take home. How my heart rejoiced to see this change! And I know that the angels of heaven rejoiced too. One or two of the women seemed so hard and selfish that I never dared hope they would ever willingly take work home to do for others. They were always so profuse in their excuses. But before the year was finished even these had changed, and they too were taking home work to do. I believe that those women were converted and the Spirit of God gave them new hearts. Thus the Dorcas Society really changes the African's outlook.
Standing on the table at each Dorcas meeting is a round canister with "Dorcas Work" in prominent letters written on one side. Turning it around, you would see a picture of Dorcas work in action. In the top of this tin is a slot to receive coins. This is for the women of the society and any who may visit, to drop in any odd coins that they can spare, or that they feel constrained to give even if they really cannot spare them. At the end of each month this tin is emptied and its contents added to our little fund. It is just another small effort to bring before the eyes of the women week by week the blessedness of giving for others. It usually contains from three to six shillings a month. This is very good, considering that the student-evangelists do not receive wages while they are in training but only a small food allowance.
During the first year of this first Dorcas Society eighty-five garments were prepared, money gifts came to twenty-seven shillings, and clothing given away was valued at 30 shillings. Also twelve baby sets were given away to new arrivals. While these figures are in shillings, yet to the Africans they are like dollars. Two communion table sets were beautifully embroidered, paid for, and presented to two churches by the society. A call for the European Relief Fund was made, and from its meager funds the society donated forty shillings. Thus ended the first year of the first Dorcas Society in East Africa: not a penny in debt, and having done well in serving others and, more especially, in having brought to African hearts the thrill of that wonderful secret, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
Second Dorcas Training Class
After one year of preparation the women were about ready to receive the Dorcas idea, and in the opening of 1951 I suggested that we launch our new society and that each household make a gift to put funds into the box in order that equipment and materials could be bought. Each household was asked to donate a chicken not the thinnest and smallest, or the sick one or the old one, but a good one that would sell well, so that the sale of these would give us the cash to begin our work. This is an easy way for the Africans when their hearts are right, and it proved a success. I believe that this could be repeated in every place where new societies are launched in Africa. We worked right through the year, having our weekly meetings and quarterly sales, and this is the report of that year's work and of the second society launched: seven teen baby sets given away, forty shillings in cash given away, fifty shillings' worth of materials in stock, fifty shillings reserve in the bank.
I wish to make it clear that my work is really a Dorcas training class, for at the end of the two-year course these women go back with their husbands into the three mission fields of this union mission and begin this work among the churches. They take the Dorcas idea back with them, and some of these women have done very well in raising up thriving societies. They go among many different tribes, their hearts full of a new kind of joy that they wish their other African sisters to share. One or two very good reports have come in, not only from the women themselves, but also from the mission field presidents and from church members, telling of this good work and what a brightness it has brought into the churches. In writing to me about their work the women themselves are brimming over with joy, and their letters tell of the victories among their own womenfolk.
The Dorcas work is well launched, and by the grace of God we look for it to spread and grow and to bless our African churches until the promise found in Isaiah 53 is fulfilled and the churches blaze with the light of God.
