A Woman Teolojiana is a trained seminary graduate in Madagascar who cannot receive ordination.

There is a two-step process for funding this  Intended Study:

This project states that each woman teolojiana would have up to $500 for an intended study: 


PHASE I—Each entry level study will be $100.   (See list below for the name of each woman teolojiana and their intended study.) As funding enters in the project, women teolojiana could start their intended  study; For example, with a $500 donation 4-5 women teolojiana could begin their intended study. 

PHASE II-- Once entry level studies are completed a women teolojiana could petition to continue a certain study, or obtain needed equipment.  (For example, sewing machines, startup fabric, shipping of books and material, cheese making
equipment, an oven). 

Therefore the total project is $6500 (13 women teolojiana x $500). 

Here is the current list of women teolojiana and what she would like to study:

1. Rinah…computers
2. Abeline…sew clothing
3. Haja…appliqué for quilting
4. Germaine…administration
5. Corine…cooking or patisserie
6. Hanitra…cooking or patisserie
7. Lucie…Sunday School project
8. Bichette…french books
9. Vololona…English skills
10. Bodo..in grad. school
11. Holy…in grad. school
12. Georgette…in grad. school
13. Lydia…not yet decided

FOLLOW-UP: Each woman teolojiana during her studies would be encouraged to write a letter, send a picture and  maybe an example of her work. The funding would be maintained by the association FITEMA and ELCA missionaries.

LEVEL II PROJECT PROPOSAL
Division for Global Mission of the ELCA

• Date: 24 February 2005

• Name of Project/Country: Funding for the Women Teolojiana of the Mahajanga Synod/ Madagascar

• Level II Project #:_________________

• Amount of Project: $6500 US Dollars

• International Partner: Malagasy Lutheran Church (Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy [FLM])/ Mahajanga Synod (Synodam-Paritany Boeny Mahajanga [SPBM])

Background Information: 

The Malagasy Lutheran Church, or the Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy (FLM), is an independent church of over 2.5 million members on the island of Madagascar which counts approximately 15 million inhabitants. The FLM currently has 20 synods on the island, one being the Mahajanga Synod located in NW Madagascar where over 30 seminary-trained women and men serve. In the Mahajanga Synod, there are nine women teolojiana, or female seminary graduates: five of the nine women teolojiana currently have active ministries in this synod; three are studying at the graduate seminary in Fianarantsoa and will finish in July 2006; and one does not have work in the synod. Four more women teolojiana of the Mahajanga Synod will graduate from the regional seminary at Betela in June 2005. Since women of the FLM are not ordained, they are not guaranteed that upon finishing seminary studies that they will be given work in a parish. In light of this, the women teolojiana in the Mahajanga Synod have organized themselves into FITEMA, Fikambanana Teolojiana eto Mahajanga, or the synod approved ‘Association of Women Teolojiana of the Mahajanga Synod’. FITEMA seeks proactively to address this issue of unemployment, and among other things, to find creative ways to support the women teolojiana. 

Description of the Project:

(The objectives and how this project meets DGM priorities)

This project aims to provide training about income-generating skills for women teolojiana in this synod. FITEMA hopes to look into activities (such as sewing and knitting, culinary specialties, making cheese and yogurt, computer training, etc) that the women teolojiana of the Mahajanga Synod could do out of the home to generate additional income that would, in turn, help to improve their conditions of living. Each woman teolojiana (13 in total) would have up to $500 for their intended study.

The intended results of this project directly correspond to two ELCA-DGM strategic programmatic priorities: (1) commitment to women and (2) commitment to leadership development. 

Time Frame of Project:

This project caters to the needs of women teolojiana on a case by case basis. Each woman teolojiana would have the chance to complete a study when and where it is most appropriate. For example, those who work may choose to do study when they have vacation, while those already studying at the seminary may wait until their return to the synod. In theory, all individual study funded by this project would be completed one year after funding is received. 

___________________________________________________________
(Signature of the writer of this proposal)
Date: ____________________ 

_________________________ _ _________________________________
 (Signature authorizing approval of this proposal) 
Date: __________________________