Advance empowerment on #GivingTuesday from The Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, United States for Tuesday, 6 November 2018

Advance empowerment on #GivingTuesday from The Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, United States for Tuesday, 6 November 2018

YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD DESERVE A CHANCE TO PURSUE EDUCATION THAT WILL EMPOWER THEM TO ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS… ...dreams of answering God’s call, supporting family and bringing abundance to their communities. Supporting students and offering them safe environments to learn, understand and achieve offers them a chance to begin life’s journey surrounded by possibilities and hope. As scholars broaden their knowledge, they are empowered to break through restrictions so they can bring prosperity and peace to the world. ADVANCE EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT PROMOTING HEALTH “Being a pharmacist and a researcher… will allow me to promote health by designing, developing and distributing medicine to the needy around the globe,” said Runako Masline Katsidzira, a United Methodist and denominational scholarship recipient from Zimbabwe. World Communion Scholar Hopes to Improve Health Access in Africa As she approached her teens, Runako Masline Katsidzira often accompanied her father, the Rev. Misheck Katsidzira, on hospital visits in her native Zimbabwe. In the lab, synthesising 3,4-dihydropyrimidone analogues as adenosine A1 and A2A receptorantagonits.  “We were staying at Mutambara Mission Center,” she recalled. “I would visit maternity wards, holding newborn babies, asking their names and any other issues that intrigued me. Infant mortality was one of the problems that really pricked my heart. I developed a strong passion to pursue a health-related career.” A 120-bed facility in the Chimanimani District of Eastern Zimbabwe, the mission hospital serves a population of more than 140,000 people with two doctors. “We grew up poor and struggling,” Runako said. The sixth of eight children, she helped her mother, Agnes Katsidzira, with gardening and sewing to supplement her family’s income. It wasn’t unusual to have unexpected visitors seeking counseling and shelter. Some of Runako’s first playmates were children with physical challenges. At the mission center, she received her primary education and learned Braille and sign language. She said she “realized the circumstances I grew up in could not compare to challenges [others] face in their everyday lives.” The Katsidzira family moved frequently as Misheck accepted new pastoral appointments. “The United Methodist Church was fully involved in my upbringing,” Runako said, “for my father was a committed and full-time pastor from 1975 to 2016. The church gave me a strong foundation of Christianity.” Thanks to a World Communion Scholarship, supported by generous gifts on World Communion Sunday, Runako intends to make a difference in her home country and beyond. “The scholarship,” she said, “made it possible for me to achieve my educational dreams and goals. Being a pharmacist and a researcher … will allow me to promote health by designing, developing and distributing medicine to the needy around the globe.” She studies at North West University in Potchefstroom, South Africa. As an undergraduate, she often experienced difficulty fully grasping concepts because classes were taught in Afrikaans, “a foreign language I cannot speak or understand,” Runako said. “However, it was a great joy to be a part of the rainbow nation of South Africa and to learn about different cultures and backgrounds.” Runako treasures every opportunity to interact with experts in her field. “I was exposed to the latest technology and equipment used in drug design and development not available in most countries in Africa and even in some developed countries,” she said. “My PhDstudies focused on improving the efficacy of antibiotics used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS co-infections.” Telling others about Jesus is important to Runako. “As a pharmacist,” she said, “I will be able to partake in health mission-outreach trips in communities/hospitals, an opportunity to encourage and share the gospel.” Facilitating access to cost-effective medicine in low-income communities and contributing to “the design, discovery and development of innovative drugs” are her primary goals. She hopes to develop a community-based pharmacy program that includes health literacy, peer education, a pharmacy-education center, counseling and income generation. Zimbabwe, Runako’s homeland, is close to her heart. She hopes to assist in establishing a pharmaceutical-research entity at Africa University. Wherever her career takes her, Runako will always appreciate The United Methodist Church. “Thanks to you all for such a wonderful gift,” she said. “I could not have made it without the scholarship, and words cannot express how grateful I am.” Barbara Dunlap-Berg, freelance writer and editor, retired from United Methodist Communications READ MORE EMPOWERING CHILDREN THROUGH EDUCATION An estimated 121 million children are not attending school due to obstacles caused by poverty, conflict, access or societal restrictions. UMCOR is investing in children so that children can receive education that will lead them – and their communities – to a better life. EDUCATION FOR ALL WE BELIEVE THAT EMPOWERMENT IS VITAL TO LONG-LASTING, SUSTAINABLE CHANGE. AN INVESTMENT IN TODAY’S STUDENTS IS AN INVESTMENT IN A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR EACH COMMUNITY IN WHICH THOSE STUDENTS LIVE. Amplify the impact of #GivingTuesday by sharing these and other stories. Tell us why you give by using the hashtag #GiveUMC. Join us as we #GiveUMC to advance empowerment around the world on #GivingTuesday, November 27. GIVE UMC LEARN ABOUT US  › EXPLORE OUR WORK  › GET INVOLVED  › FIND RESOURCES  › GIVE TO MISSION  › GENERAL BOARD OF GLOBAL MINISTRIES The United Methodist Church 458 Ponce De Leon Avenue NorthEast Atlanta, Georgia 30308, United States engage@umcmission.org (800)862-4246

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