Projects/Campaigns

Mothers' Union Projects and Campaigns~ in Ireland and Overseas

Mothers' Union supports many projects and campaigns both at home in Ireland and Overseas.

Read about many of the projects below and click on the pictures to access more information, patterns etc.

Knitting and Sewing Projects

Some of the projects include hats, matinee jackets and Ollie the Octopus for premature babies, trauma teddies, hats and scarves for the homeless, prayer squares, fiddle blankets for the elderly/infirm etc. Click on image to access patterns.

Click on the image for prayer for the square

AFIA (Away from it All)

This project provides short breaks/holidays or day trips for those who otherwise could not afford it and is available in most Dioceses.

Contact your Mothers’ Union Diocesan President or Secretary for further details.

16 Days of Activism Against

Gender Based Violence

Vigils and/or prayer breakfasts are organised during November in every Diocese to raise awareness of gender-based violence and the search for gender justice.

Toiletries, gifts, toys etc are collected for distribution in local Refuges.

Thursdays in Black

The campaign is simple but profound. Wear black on Thursdays. Wear a pin to declare you are part of the global movement resisting attitudes and practices that permit rape and violence. Show your respect for women who are resilient in the face of injustice and violence. Encourage others to join you.

Often black has been used with negative racial connotations. In this campaign Black is used as a color of resistance and resilience.

Prison Visits and

The Read Together Project

As part of this project books are distributed to children and also the parent in prison.

This gives them something to talk about during prison visits.

Baby Changing and Feeding Facilities at Shows

This facility is greatly appreciated by parents and guardians of babies/toddlers as it gives them a safe clean environment in which to change and feed their baby/toddler. Read about Mothers' Union at Ploughing 2019 by clicking on the picture below.

Literacy and Financial Education

The programme uses participatory methods to enable communities to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills while discussing and planning action on their daily issues and challenges.

Worldwide Parenting Programmes

The Worldwide Parenting Programmes faciliate groups to discuss different topics and share parenting experiences and best practice.

Savings and Credit Groups

The overall aim for countries using this programme is to break down the barriers and challenges faced by women when dealing with money and finances. It aims to raise their social and economic status, resulting in them having more of a say in their households, and helping to create women entrepreneurs.

Church and Community Mobilisation

CCM is a transformational, community-based process which uses facilitator-led Bible studies to work with church groups encouraging them to kick-start economic, social and physical transformation within their communities. Mothers’ Union is uniquely positioned in that we can equip our members to facilitate lasting change within their church and communities.

MULOA

MULOA stands for “Mothers’ Union Listening, Observing, Acting” and is the name we are using to explore the essence of what it is to be Mothers’ Union.

As a member-led global organisation we are actively listening to the voices of our members to create a vision for the future that is grounded in their views and their experiences within their communities. This will help us create our strategy beyond 2020

Mothers’ Union and United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW)

Global Advocacy to Raise the Status of Women and Eliminate Discrimination: Mothers’ Union and UNCSW

BYE BUY CHILDHOOD

Exploiting children for profit is wrong.

Mothers' Union in Ireland launched their Bye Buy Childhood Postcard campaign at their All Ireland Leadership Conference on 5th March 2011.

The Mothers' Union Bye Buy Campaign was initiated by the concern expressed by parents' of their experience of the pressures of commercialisation on family life and that marketing with sexualised content is too easily accessible.

Moving Forward with the Campaign

The Marketing Department have prepared 20,000 postcards to lobby OfCom (UK) and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland if they feel a programme is unsuitable for viewing by children and teenagers and that it should not be shown before the 9.00pm watershed.

We would encourage you to look at the programmes and advertisements through the eyes of a child. Then ask yourself the question - Would the content make you behave in the way portrayed? If the answer is yes, send a postcard available from the All-Ireland Office Telephone 00353 1 8735075 or from marketing@mothersunion.ie or follow these links to OfCom and Broadcasting Authority of Ireland

The postcards are available to and can be used by everyone and anyone. The Mothers' Union do not want the flame of this campaign to go out.

OUR POSTCARD CAMPAIGN CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO US ALL & MOST IMPORTANTLY TO OUR CHILDREN.

Thursday 16th April

Following an upsurge in reported incidents of domestic violence Governments in Ireland have teamed up with frontline services to provide excellent awareness and information campaigns to assure victims that STAY AT HOME DOES NOT MEAN SUFFER AT HOME.

Frontline services are STILL HERE.

Still here - domestic abuse TV awareness ad

Helplines for people experiencing domestic violence:

Republic of Ireland:

An Garda Síochána - 999 or 112
Women's Aid - 1800 341 900
Men's Aid Ireland - 01 554 3811
Male Domestic Abuse Advice Line - 1800 816 588
Rape Crisis Centre National Helpline - 1800 77 8888
Legal Aid Board Helpline - 1890 615 200 or 01 646 9600
Directory of local services - www.safeireland.ie

Helplines for people experiencing domestic violence:

Northern Ireland:

PSNI – 999 or 101 www.psni.police.uk
Domestic and Sexual Abuse (DSA) helpline 0808 8021414 - free and confidential.
Women's Aid - 028 9024 9041 visit www.womensaidni.org
Men’s Advisory Project (MAP) - 028 9024 1929 visit www.mapni.co.uk
Web chat available at www.dsahelpline.org or email help@dsahelpline.org

A Woman’s Psalm

O God, I am a woman in a violent world let me know your peace.
Let blind rage born of despair not find its target in me.
Let the value of my life not be reduced to the jewellery I wear.
Let my family life not end that life in a gang may begin.
Let rape not violate my body nor anger ravage my soul.
Let fear not enter my heart but caution sharpen my mind.
Let the light of Christ so shine in me that I may reflect your love.
Let the joy that the apostles knew infuse my spirit and alleviate my pain.
Let Love who suffered and died on the cross find resurrection and new life in the world you love.
God, I am a woman in a violent world - let me know your peace.

Elizabeth Kaeton, (from Lifting Women’s Voices: Canterbury Press; 2009)

I am an individual jam jar you can spread me on your toast

Upon a scone I’m truly delicious

Once my jam is finished, my life it is so short

Could I be recycled?...

Now my inside is all a jingle

My heart is full of joy

Those ladies from the MU have given me a task

To help raise lots of money!

Why not "Reuse and Recycle" your small jam jars for Overseas!

Prayer

Prayer is at the heart of everything we do in the Mothers' Union. Members in Ireland are linked with members around the world through the Wave of Prayer and from time to time visits are exchanged.

Within Ireland members enjoy fellowship through the development of North/South links between Dioceses and individual Branches.

Mothers' Union ~ Wave of Prayer

25th June - 31st July

Click on the image above to access the midday prayers for July

25 - 27 June ~ Table Bay in South Africa; Rift Valley in Tanzania; Evo & Ijebu in Nigeria; Adelaide in Australia and Taejon in South Korea

28 June ~ Mothers’ Union worldwide

29 - 30 June ~ Eastern Zambia in Zambia; Mombasa in Kenya; Gwagwalada & Ekiti-West in Nigeria; Leicester in England and Temotu in Solomon Islands

1 July ~ Eastern Zambia in Zambia; Mombasa in Kenya; Gwagwalada & Ekiti-West in Nigeria; Leicester in England and Temotu in Solomon Islands

2 – 4 July ~ Renk in South Sudan; Cyangugu in Rwanda; Arochukwu/Ohafia & Ile-Oluji in Nigeria; St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane in Scotland and Sittwe in Myanmar

5 July ~ Mothers’ Union worldwide

6 – 8 July ~ Wad Medani in Sudan; Kondoa in Tanzania; Ikwo & Remo in Nigeria; Montreal in Canada and the Windward Islands in St Lucia, Grenada, St Vincent & The Grenadines

9 – 11 July ~ El Obeid in Sudan; Butere in Kenya; Nnewi in Nigeria; London in England and the Province of the USA

12 July ~ Mothers’ Union worldwide

13 – 15 July ~ Toliara in Madagascar; Mbale in Uganda; Zaria & Ndokwa in Nigeria, Rochester in England and Chhattisgarh in India

16 – 18 July ~ Lake Malawi in Malawi; Byumba in Rwanda; Jalingo in Nigeria; St Edmundsbury & Ipswich in England and Lucknow in India

19 July ~ Mothers’ Union worldwide

20 – 22 July ~ Gitega in Burundi; Murag’a South and Mbeere in Kenya; Enugu North in Nigeria; Polynesia in Tonga and Jaffna in India

23– 25 July ~ George in South Africa; Bungoma in Kenya; Western Tanganyika in Tanzania; Ideato in Nigeria; Sodor & Man in Isle of Man and Toronto in Canada

26 July ~ Mothers’ Union worldwide

27 - 29 July ~ Northern Zambia in Zambia; Mpwapwa in Tanzania; Gusau & Osun in Nigeria; Sydney in Australia and Rayalaseema in India

30 – 31 July ~ Boga in DR Congo; Manicaland in Zimbabwe; Tanga in Tanzania; Ogoni in Nigeria; Carlisle in England and Melbourne in Australia