Joyful Clemantine Wamariya at the age of 6 , with her older sister Claire,was forced to leave her home in Rwanda following the Rwandan Genocide in April. 1994. They went first to their grandparents but they were also targeted. They sought refuge in 7 countries over 6 years until they were granted refugee asylum in the USA in 2000. She began formal schooling at the age of 13. In 2006 she submitted an essay for a national high school contest on Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust Memoir, Night. She won and was invited to go on the Oprah Winfrey show with her sister. To their wonderful surprise their parents, who they knew had survived the genocide,had been flown in from Rwanda. They had spoken on the 'phone but had not seen them for 12 years. After her appearance on the show event organizers, especially in the humanitarian aid sector, have invited her to speak. While at Yale she carried her storytelling across the USA for the United Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). President Obama in recognition of her work appointer her to the Board. She has since appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show 3 times and her appearances have gained her international attention. She studied comparative literature at Yale University. After university she met Elizabeth Weil. What started as a feature- length article two years later in 2018 resulted in The Girl Who Smiles Beads: A story about War and What comes After. The book became a New York Times best seller Clemantine now works as a human rights advocate fighting for the unprivileged and championing justice.

Esra’a does not show her face on line -it would put and her and her family at risk if she was recognizable. C She is a Bahraini civil rights activist and founder and executive director of Majal (Mideast Youth) and its related projects including* Crowd Voice.* She founded* Mideast Tunes* which is currently the largest platform for underground musicians in the Middle East and North Africa - it penetrates isolated markets. Read about her many media awards (2008-2015) - paragraph 2. IShe was a keynote speaker at Wikimania 2017 and also appointed to the Wilkimedia Foundation Board of Trustee, In 2018 she was listed as one of BBC’s 100 Women. In January 2023 she was appointed to board of The Tor Project. We want our humanity and our futures in our hands and we use the internet and other forms of technology to fight for those rights Esra’a Her life is dedicated to bringing about change. Sources Wikipedia RISE by Maliha Abidi

Elif Shafak (nee Bigin), born in Strasbourg, France has published 19 works. They have been translated into 55 languages and been nominated for several literacy awards. (See list) She advocated for women’s rights, minority rights and freedom of speech. Her themes include women’s lives, immigration and culture. She believes storytelling has the power to change the world. She is a passionate supporter of minorities for women and the freedom of expression. Sources Wikipedia *RISE *by Maliha Abidi

Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. Aged 3 she was given a little Mira, a doll of Sri Krishna, by a wandering religious man. She decided then to follow Sri Krishna for the rest of her life. She has been the subject of numerous folk tales and hagiographic l.egends. It is widely acknowledged that Mirabai dedicated her life to Krishna, composing song of devotion and was one of the most important poet-saint of the Bhakti movement period. Some Hindu temples are dedicated to her memory. Sources Wikipedia Herstory by Katherine Halligan

Hannah Szenes or Chanah Senesh was a Jew born in Budepest, Hungary. She joined the British Army in 1943 as part of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. She trained to be a Special Operation’s Executive - SOE . She was learning to be a spy. After training in Egypt she parachuted into Europe near the Hungarian border. Having spent 3 months helping people fight against the Nazis she tried to cross into Hungary. Everything went wrong. She was captured, arrested and tortured as a spy. For 3 months she was tortured but revealed no information about her mission. They even threatened to kill her mother. She was tried, found guilty executed by firing squad on 7 th November 1944, she was just 23 years of age Hannah is regarded as a national heroine in Israel. Her poetry is widely known . The Yad Hna kibbutz as well as several streets are named after her. She has been largely been forgotten in Hungary, her birth place. Sources used Wikipedia Herstory by Katherine Halligan

Aisholpan Nurguiv aged 13,became the first female eagle hunter to compete in the eagle festival at Ulgii, Mongolia. A documentary about Aisholpan was shortlisted, but ultimately not nominated, for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. In 2013 she competed at the e day event at the Sonar festival held near Nura. There were 40 competitors this involved shirga (lures) and live prey… She was awarded a prize by virtue of being the only female competitor. Aged 15, in 2015 , she went on her first hunt with her own eagle. Her desire is to become a doctor. The film makers established a fund to help pay for her higher education. Her family became ’ profit participants’ in the documentary. They also donated the 3, 000 euros for winning best Documentary at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Sources Wikipedia Rise by Maliha Abidi

Deepika is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindu films. Her father Prakash was a professional badminton player and she played at international herself. She was’ discovered’ and became a model and then a very a successful actress. One morning in 2014 she woke up with depression (her world was a few shades darker’. She researched and found there was very little information available about mental health. In 2015 she set up a foundation called Live Love Laugh through which she set up various resources.She wanted more attention paid to mental illness and its effects - and less to shame associated with it. Today she is a brighter star of Bollywood than ever before and continues to advocate for better mental health support. Sources Wikipedia *RISE * by Maliha Abidi

Theresa is the paramount chief , or Inkosi, of the Dedza District in the central region of Malawi. She was the youngest of 12 siblings.She married and had children- all boys. Theresa for 27 years worked as a secretary for the College of Zambia District in southern Malawi. In 2003 the chiefs of the district chose her to be the next senior chief of the district, a district of 900, 000 people… She found that there were high rates of child marriage in her district- children aged 7 and upwards. She could not persuade parents to change their views but was able to convince community leaders to change the civil code to ban early marriages. 50 sub-chiefs agreed to abolish early marriage and annul existing unions. In 2015 a law was passed which prevented marriage before 18. But the constitution and customary law administered by traditional authorities still said children could still marry if the parents agreed. By 2019 she had managed to have over 3,500 early marriages annulled. She is now working to raise the legal age in Mallawi to 21. Her actions have brought her international recognition. UN Women and UNICEF plan to work with traditional leaders elsewhere to replicate the best practices of Theresa. Educate a girl and you educate the whole area- You educate the world Theresa Kachindamoto Sources used Wikipedia Herstory by Katherine Hallidan

C. S. Lewis, Clive Staple Lewis, Jack to his friends wrote more than 30 books. He is most famous for his The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven books written for children. The children visit the magical land of Narnia where Aslan, the Lion reigns. He takes the Pevensie children on a series of adventures where good eventually always over comes evil. To go with the series I have created seven sets of crosswords and word searches, answers included. HarperCollinspublishers have produced an excellent pop-up book to go with the series of seven books - Narnia Chronology -from the Archives of the Last King. ISBN 9780061240058 Wlkiepedia has a great deal of information about C.S. Lewis - biography notes and detailed book summaries (2 levels) about each of the books.

William Tyndale is often forgotten about unfortunately. It was William who was responsible for the translation of the Bible into every day English. He used Greek to translate the New Testament; he used Hebrew to translate the Old Testament. He lived at the time of the Reformation. The Roman Catholic Church did not want their Latin version of the Bible translated into English. He wanted everyone to be able to read it vernacular English. He died at the stake accused of being a heretic. A few years later his translations formed the basis for our present Bible. John Wycliffe translated the Bible into English from Latin

Mary, the mother of Jesus, has been venerated since early Christianity. According to Christian theology, Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit whilst still a virgin. Both the gospels of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament, and the Quran, describe Mary as a virgin, and as being betrothed to Joseph. Over the centuries she is said to have appeared to many believers. 6 Fascinating facts found in ‘Beliefnet’ Her life was foreshadowed in the Old Testament Virgin Mother of Emmanuel Isaiah ch14 v7 2.She was a woman of great Courage and Character When the angel Gabriel came and told she was to be the mother of God’s son she showed great courage and character Luke ch 1 v38 3.Believed by many to be the greatest of all saints She was chosen and prepared by God to be the mother of his son. 4.She was Instrumental in Jesus’ Life She was there throughout his lifetime -birth to Ascension 5.The true meaning of the Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception deals with the conception of Mary herself, not that of her son. A Life of Witness Her life was to witness to the glory of her Son and we can’t help but admire her for that. I have included Bible references, 2 copies of the Magnificat - traditional and modern, information about Jewish betrothal and marriage plus Catholic Mariology I hope these sheets prove useful. Note Mary is mentioned by name on more occasions in the Quran than in the Bible.

St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, nine other countries, plus a number of different groups- from fishermen to farmworkers. He was one of Christ's original disciples so I have included Biblical references to him. There is a brief biography with a two gap sheets to fill in. There is also a crossword, a word search and 'How many words can you find in Andrew? ' There is a sheet about the history of the St. Andrew flag and the Union Jack plus some ideas for a Diary- this comes with a clipart sheet for final copy. I hope children find the work interesting

St David is the patron saint of Wales. I have included a page from Wikipedia. There is an information sheet about St. David followed by two large font sheets containing basic information .There are two pieces of gap work (differentiated), a crossword which needs a picture answer, a word search, information about the Welsh flag and the Union Jack, plus diary ideas with a blank for their diary. These sheets should keep the children interested on St. David’s day - a mixture of different things to do. The extra two pages are the b/w front and back cover for the whole series Four Wise Men. for them to colour.

Mary Slessor was a Christian missionary in Nigeria. She started life, at 11, as a 'half timer' - school for six hours/ working for six hours for the Baxter Brother's Mill with her mother and father to become the 'white queen of Okoyong' in Nigeria. When she died in 1915 she was given a state funeral in Nigeria in recognition of her life time given to helping others. She is an inspiration for any girl, or boy, who is thinking becoming a missionary. We celebrated the centenary of her death two years ago and there is a lot of material to find on the internet about her.

St. Stephen is the forgotten saint! In the UK we think of it as Boxing Day - a National Bank Holiday. St.Stephen was the first Christian martyr. The twelve disciples of Jesus asked the believers in Jesus Christ to select seven deacons. The seven were given the task of caring for the poor.Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, who probably a Hellenistic Jew - born in Greece, was one of the chosen seven. Stephen, brimming with God’s grace and energy, was doing wonderful things until, out of jealousy, he was falsely accused of blaspheme. Blaspheme is when a person shows contempt or disrespect for God. He was taken in front of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council. He was given the opportunity to speak. He told them a few home truths - they had not listened to the prophets who they persecuted- they were responsible for the death of Jesus. They were outraged at what he said. He finished by saying," Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side" To them that was blaspheme - hey took him outside and stoned him I have Scripture readings, Wikipedia, the Spruce -for Boxing day. There is also a word search with answers.

Earthquakes are one of the most destructive natural disasters in the world. The first sheet emphasizes the link between Earthquakes, Tsunami and Volcanoes. The second sheet require the pupil to draw pictures to show slight destruction to ruins. The third sheet gives suggestions for putting the story together, the forth sheet is a vocabulary sheet. Home at last is my attempt at a story. There is also a poetry aid. Finally there is a simple crossword and word search - answers supplied. Added general sheet on Rescue.

St. Mungo is the patron saint of Glasgow. His proper name is Saint Kentigern but he is is better known by his nickname. Saint Serf, who became his foster father, is responsible for the name of Mungo. Mungo means ‘my dear one’. His mother was a princess: his father became a king!

Elizabeth Fry was a preacher and reformer. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Gurney and she was born in Norwich into a wealthy Quaker family. She became a member of Plain Friends - a strict religious group who dressed modestly and refrained from singing and dancing. William Savery inspired her to devote her life to helping the needy. Elizabeth Gurney met Joseph Fry in 1799 and married him in 1800. They went to live in his family home in Plashed - now East Ham. In 1811 Elizabeth was acknowledged as a Quaker minister. It was an unpaid post among Friends that nevertheless frequently entailed travelling to serve other meetings. her ministry, which was greatly appreciated on account of her musical voice. She delighted to preach on the theme of the availability of the grace of God for all. When Elizabeth visited Newgate prison in 1813 she found women and children crammed 30 to a cell. There they cooked, washed and slept. To help them she supplied clothes, established a school, chapel and matron. In 1817 Elizabeth, along with 11 other Quakers, established the Association for the Improvement of the Female Prisoners in Newgate. Her brother in law, MP Thomas Fowell-Buxton, raised the issue in Parliament… Elizabeth gave evidence to the Commons committee on prisons. She advocated treating prisoners like human beings. Some MPs saw her as a dangerous radical but the new Home Secretary, Sir Robert peel, was supportive. The 1823 Goals Act was the first step. In a book published in1827 she set down many of her conclusions on penal policy, stating foe example her opposition to capital punishment. Elizabeth became recognised as a well-known , respected figure, consulted by many important men for her professional opinion. In 1824 she founded the Brighton District Visiting Society. In 1840 she created a nursing school at Guy’s hospital. She did not win all the battles. She declared in 1948 the new Pentonville prison, with its dark cells, *should never exist in a Christian and civilized country. * Elizabeth Fry created a lasting improvements for Britain and changed the status of women in society. I found some Bite Size Key stage I pictures which might prove useful for primary work. Sources *Great Leaders of the Christian Church * edited by John D. Woodbridge contribution from David W. Bebbington wikipedia The great British Community BBc Bitesize

Ferdinand Magellan is recognised as being the first person to lead a sea voyage around the world. He started with 5 ships but only ‘Victoria’ returned to Spain. Ferdinand died during the attack on the Mactan island so he personally never completed the voyage - see notes.

Saint Nicodemus is mentioned 3 times in St. John’s Gospel. He is not mentioned in the synoptic gospels of Matthew. Mark or Luke. He visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus’ teaching. Here he is referred to as being a prominent leader among the Jews John ch 3 v 1. He is mentioned when Jesus faced the Sanhedrin. Here he is referred to as being a ruler and Pharisee. John ch 7 After Jesus’ crucifixion he provided the customary spices for anointing the dead when he assists Joseph of Arimathea in preparing the body of Jesus for burial - John ch.19. H e was a Pharisee , a ruler and a member of the Sanhedrin. Although there is no explicit mention of him as a follower or disciple of Jesus in the New Testament he is considered to be a secret disciple of Jesus by both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches based on the narrative of John ch 19.