Interplast Specialists Arrive in Malawi to Conduct Free Surgery
By Vincent Shaba (Health Desk Officer)
Interplast, a team of German specialist doctors, arrived in Malawi on 13th January, 2018 to provide free surgery to people with different conditions including facial malformation. Dr. Shidelko, the team leader, and his team will start assisting patients on the Monday, 15 January, at Chitipa District Hospital.
In this first visit of the year, the specialists will assist people with a number of conditions including facial malformations, cleft lips and palates, malformation of hands, extensive burn scars, tumours located on head and skin, disabilities due to accidents, wound or other diseases which require the skills of plastic surgery.
All patients with related conditions are advised to go to nearest health facilities to be assessed and referred to Chitipa District Hospital when necessary. At Chitipa District Hospital, assessment of patients is done jointly by Interplast Team and Malawian clinicians. The joint assessment serves a twofold purpose for local clinicians; they help in language translation and it is also a learning experience for them.
A second team from Interplast that operates on goiters will arrive at Chitipa district Hospital on the 23rd of February, 2018. They will spend two weeks.
The team members started visiting Malawi, and specifically Karonga Diocese, in February, 2016 upon the request from his Lordship, Bishop M. Mtumbuka during one of his visits to Germany.
Since the initial team’s visit, there have been more than eight teams coming to Karonga Diocese at different times of the year and have since assisted more than a hundred patients.
Generally, the teams appreciate the friendliness of people in Malawi and are geared to assist those with orthopedic problems. However, they also observe a couple of challenges practicing orthopedic in Malawi including inadequate human and material resources from the previous visits.
Interplast, is an association of Orthopedic Surgical Specialist from Germany that provides plastic surgery free of charge to people in developing countries. The objective of Interplast is to integrate people with malformation back into the society.
Minister of Labour Tours Miracle Technical Institute
By Maureen Soko
The Minister of Labour Youth and Manpower Development, Francis Kasaila, has expressed satisfaction with the work Miracle Technical Institute is doing in training young people in various vocational skills.
The Minister made these remarks when he visited Miracle Technical Institute on 11th January, 2018, as part of his familiarization tour of technical colleges in the Northern Region of Malawi.
Speaking after touring the vocational training facility, the Minister said he was pleased with the good work the college was doing in preparing young people for the future.
In his remarks, he said he was happy with the courses offered by the college which include Hotel Management and Catering.
“I am delighted with the courses you are offering some of which are not offered by most colleges in the Northern Region. Graduates of Hotel Management and Catering, for example, are marketable as they easily find jobs in the expanding tourism sector.” He said.
Hon. Kasaila further praised the college for being one of the pioneers of SPVET (Solar Photovoltaic Electrical Training) Programme, which is aimed at increasing access to electricity to many Malawians.
“As you all know, about 90% of Malawians do not have access to electricity, hence the coming in of this programme,” said Kasaila.
On another note, the Minister asked the authorities at the institution to increase intake to accommodate more young people who wish to acquire vocational skills.
Speaking on behalf of Miracle Technical Institute, the Director, Brother Joseph Pachalo Mfune, said the institute will continue to offer the very best to the students for them to effectively contribute to the development of this country.
Brother Mfune said the school is failing to complete some of the construction projects they embarked on due to financial constraints. However, he expressed hope that they will be able to complete the work with help from the partners, such as TEVETA and European Union.
Miracle Technical Institute opened its doors in 1999. To date the college has successfully trained 2500 young men and women in various vocational skills.
Karonga Diocese Takes Over Chipunga Farm Limited
By Stephen Nkhata (Resource Mobilisation Officer)
Karonga Diocese continues to expand its income generating base and has recently acquired Chipunga Farm Limited with a financial loan from American Conference of Catholic Bishops. The previous owner of the company was Mr Bernard Shwarz.
The official handovers took place on 4th January, 2018 at Chipunga Farm in Chikwina, Nkhata Bay. During the handover ceremony, delegation from Karonga Diocese was led by the Director of Finance, Investment and Administration, Fr. Cecilio Silwamba. Others included; Mwawi Shaba, the Caritas Secretary; Stephen Nkhata, Resource and Mobilization Officer; Memory Dzodzi, Human Resource Officer; Franklin Msiska, Development Desk Officer; James Kasambala, the newly appointed Farm Manager and Mr. Osward Mtupila, Diocesan Lawyer. The team of the previous owner was composed of Mr. Bernard Shwarz, his wife and Mr. Sam Kasambiza, an agent from Knight Frank ; a company that brokered the sale. The ceremony went on very well to the satisfaction of both parties.
Chipunga Farm covers 286.46 hectares of mountainous land of which approximately 40% is cleared, the remainder being woodland and built up area.
The estate is engaged in crop production with existing major crops being Macadamia which covers a position of about 20.9 hectares and coffee 3.6 hectares. The farm also possesses facilities for livestock farming.
The built up area comprises dwelling houses, offices. Store rooms, ablution block, water reservoirs, coffee drying tables, papery, receiving and fermentation tanks. However their conditions vary from good to dilapidated, typical for agricultural properties.
Karonga Diocese intends to plant the majority of the hectares with coffee and also expand macadamia hectares . Karonga Diocese has taken a path towards self-sustenance through investments such as Chitipa Filling Station, which serves the whole district of Chitipa and surrounding areas. The Diocese also has Misuku Coffee Farm which covers 15 hectares, out of which 3.2 hectares have been developed. The other project in the pipeline is the Uzumala Farm in Rumphi District.
Sunday School Children Lead Epiphany Liturgy
By Ignatius Mvula
Sunday school children in different Parishes of Karonga Diocese led the Liturgy on 7th January, 2018 to mark the feast of Epiphany. The Children have been preparing for this feast for the past three weeks and were all filled with joviality during the celebration.
At St Mary’s Parish alone, they were seven hundred children that gathered from Friday to Sunday.
In her homily, Matilda Luhanga, a 13 year old girl called upon all the faithful to keep on gazing at the star of Jesus as opposed to that of Herod.
“Each time we seek our own kingdoms, we lose focus of the star of Jesus, we must at all times look at the Jesus and never waver with the joys of this world which are but temporal” said Matilda while attracting ululation from the audience.
Maltida warned the congregation on the evils of abortion, belief in witchcraft, dishonesty and rampant prostitution as serious vices of our time. She reminded the people that all these spring from a selfish mentality where the perpetrators think about the self more than the common good.
In the solemn Eucharistic celebration that was presided by Fr Albert Chilambo, the children dramatised the gospel to bring the message home. They also contributed money as a fulfilment of the belief of “Children Helping Children”.
Tomaida Songa, one of the instructors for Sunday school at St Mary’s Parish centre, pointed out that it’s always her joy to see children getting engaged with matters of faith and demonstrate them in concrete life.
“It is good to orient children to a life of faith while they are still young. This will help the church to be strong in the future with reliable church elders,’’ said Songa.
In their speech, the children thanked Bishop Martin Mtumbuka for the robust and booming Sunday School Apostolate. They hinted on the catechism lessons they receive, which cement their catholic faith, the Bible lessons, and weekly quiz and on the physical front the Likuni Phala they eat each Sunday.
The same event took place in all the parishes within the Diocese of Karonga coordinated by the Director of Pontifical Missionary Societies (PMS), Fr. Matthews Simwela.
CCJP Uses Football Competition as a Platform for Promoting Health Rights
By Wezi Mwangonde
The Justice and Peace Desk of the Catholic Diocese of Karonga has said the strategy of football competitions to mobilize community members in rural areas has helped in the sustainability of the Health governance project.
Catechist Francis Sichali, leader of CCJP Health Governance Project volunteers revealed to Tuntufye FM at Mpata in Karonga District that most community members shun away from meetings they organize hence the message they disseminate does not reach out to many.
He added that knowing that football attracts many people, they decided to use it as a way of empowering rural communities on health rights for them to participate effectively in the management of public health services.
Speaking at the same function, Moses Mwakisalu, a CCJP official, urged traditional leaders in the area to help their members understand health rights in order to demand quality health services which is the major aims of the project.
“Mpata is a rural area, therefore football bonanza as one of the local activities helps to mobilize community members thereby communicating health governance rights effectively’’ said Mwakisalu.
Concurring with Mwakisalu, one of the football prayers of Nkhando FC Hasting Mwakapeye said many people came to the health governance bonanza because CCJP involved local teams which is the best way of delivering messages to people in rural areas.
“I am personally very impressed with the strategy that CCJP has put forward and the message has been delivered” said Mwakapeye.
The football bonanza was between Lupaso and Nkhando FC, at the end of the bonanza Nkhando FC emerged victors.
CCJP is empowering people in health governance project with funding from Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA)
Education Desk Promoting English Speaking among Sunday School Children
By Lonely Paul Mwandira (Methodology Advisor)
Sunday school children in St. Michael’s Parish now have an opportunity to improve their English speaking skills, thanks to the new project called “Promotion of English Speaking Skills among Sunday School Children”.
The project, which seeks to improve English proficiency among early grade learners, is exposing Sunday school children to activities performed in English. The project has introduced English Speaking Clubs in selected primary schools where children interact in English through reading and speaking after normal school hours. In these clubs, they also recite poems, conduct debates on child centered topics, panel discussions on catechism, spelling bees, storytelling and others.
The project has also organized competitions in poetry and Bible verse recitals in English. Children will compete in clubs and during other Sunday school activities like quiz competition.
In view of the tasks involved, the Education Desk of the Diocese of Karonga oriented teachers and Sunday school instructors on English teaching and learning skills and English catechism mastery late last year at Mubanga, in Chitipa District.
Speaking during the official induction ceremony, Mr. Remmie Kamanga, the Education Desk Officer, said the project gives an opportunity for children to read and speak English which would result into mastery of the language.
“If our young boys and girls do master the English language they will easily understand academic work in class, hence, excel in education” voiced Kamanga.
In order to reach out to more children, Tuntufye FM Radio will be producing and broadcasting children’s stories in English through radio drama.
Speaking at the outset of the orientation exercise, Parish Priest for St Michael’s Parish, Father Charles Chinula, thanked the Education Desk Officer for considering his parish in the pilot phase.
The induction targeted teachers of Mubanga Primary School, where the English club has been introduced, and Sunday school instructors of Mubanga Prayer Centre where English Catechism lessons have been introduced. The project is being sponsored by the Coppel’s Family.
Development Desk of Karonga Diocese Promoting Climate Smart Agriculture
By Elijah Banda for Development Desk
For over a decade Malawi has been experiencing disasters of various degrees, mainly climate related, such as above normal rainfall, prolonged dry spells, pests and diseases, late onset of rains and short rainfall seasons. The highlighted weather related problems have had profound effects on crop production by small scale farmers and subsequent hunger among the farmers which leads to reduced participation in social economic activities of their respective communities.
In view of these challenges Karonga-Diocese through its Development Desk is implementing a 3 year livelihood project which is engaging small scale farmers in agricultural practices that would withstand the shocks of the climatic variations. In pursuit of this the Development Desk has facilitated the establishment of demonstration sites in the 4 traditional authorities it is implementing the project. The demo plots act as farmers’ schools where various practices are showcased and farmers are given a chance to see and adopt a technology they feel best for their area.
On 3rd January 2018 the Development Desk- Desk Officer and Project Officer visited the set demo plots to appreciate how the work is going on and evaluate the farmer’s understanding of the initiative. In his remarks after visiting Titukulane Farmers Club in Lupembe-Karonga the Development Desk- Desk Officer thanked the farmers for the hard work shown towards mounting the demo plots and encouraged them to start practicing the technologies in their respective fields.
These technologies, he said, if scaled up would contribute to increased food production in the wake of these climate related shocks. He further asked the farmers to continue taking good care of the demo plots and their respective gardens by guarding against pests and diseases to report to extension workers for the area once they spot a strange disease.
In his remarks, the Chairperson of the group thanked Karonga Diocese for the project which he said would help to change mindset of many farmers in the area who still cling to old farming methods which are challenged by climate related shocks and affecting agricultural production.
Karonga Diocese Development Desk is implementing the project with financial assistance from MISEREOR Germany.
Lusubilo Orients Its Staff Members in Child Protection Policy
By Vitumbiko Ngwira
In a quest to empower its staff members and clients on child protection, the management of Lusubilo Community Based Organization organized training session to orient staff members and clients in Child Protection Policy.
The orientation follows the enactment of Child Care Justice Act by the Government of Malawi and the adoption of Child Protection Policy by the Catholic Church in Malawi. These two instruments aim at protecting children from potential abuse. The training took place on the 7th and 8th December, 2017 at Lusubilo Boardroom.
The training aimed at empowering the staff members with skills on how to protect the children and vulnerable adults from harm. Since Lusubilo is an organization within the Catholic Diocese of Karonga, the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) Child Protection Policy was used during the training.
Staff members were exposed to the guidelines and principles stipulated in the ECM Child Protection Policy. They were reminded to make sure that children and vulnerable adults at Lusubilo were always protected from potential harm at all times. In this way the mission and vision of the organization would be enhanced.
The facilitator for the trainings, Mr. Vitumbiko Ngwira, emphasized that the safety of children should be the priority of every staff member at Lusubilo. Staff members were also reminded of the noble responsibility of ensuring that abuses of clients were to be dealt with honestly. It was further emphasized that all staff members should make sure that children are respected in according with ECM Child Protection Policy.
During the training, staff members asked many questions about child protection. They also appreciated the trainings and encouraged management to continue providing such opportunities from time to time. Child protection agreement forms were signed by the all staff members. The trainings would be repeated quarterly to facilitate internalization of the message.
Lusubilo Orphan Care Centre Gives Children a Rare Christmas Treat
By Vitumbika Ngwira and Maureen Nasho
On 25th December, 2017, Lusubilo Orphan Care Centre organized a Christmas Party for children under its care. This followed a joint get together of staff members from Diocesan Curia and Lusubilo.
The main aim of the Children’s Party was to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fr. Mathews Simwela, Professor Kim and some Lusubilo staff members accompanied the children during the celebration. Lusubilo values with great reverence all church activities.
The children began their celebrations with Christmas Mass at St Mary’s Parish. After that they gathered for a common lunch at the Children’s village. The meal was specially prepared for the occasion. One could only notice the beauty of the celebration on the faces of the children. Children shared experiences. Lunch was followed with music and dance. Children displayed their dancing and singing talents.
On 26th December, Professor Kim, the Director of Lusubilo Band visited the Children’s village and shared gifts to the children. It was a wonderful day, a memorable day for the children. There was also dancing and singing.
On 28th December, the children’s village received visitors from Austria. Mentina, with her children Ana and Daniel cheered the children at the village. Mentina gave an encouraging talk to the children. They appreciated the services that Lusubilo gives to vulnerable children.
