By Raphael Mlozoa
(Catholic Journalist)
The Bishop of Mangochi diocese of the Catholic Church, Right Reverend Montfort Stima says Malawians should stop thinking about themselves and today but as a block and for the future if the country is to see meaningful development.
Bishop Stima was speaking in an interview in after one of the Church’s arm, the Catholic Women Organization, introduced a two-year pilot project on environmental management that it has embarked on.
The project is aimed enhancing environmental management knowledge among children in schools in Mangochi and Dedza diocese of the Church.
Bishop Stima who is also the Chair of communication and research at the Episcopal Conference of Malawi said it is a culture in Malawi that people do not like long term projects because they think of how much and when they are going to rip benefits without thinking of the future.
“We need to change our thinking and our mindset by not think about today, about us and how much personal profits we are going to get; but rather mind about the future whether we will be there or not,” said the Bishop.
He observed that in other countries where there is development, those who worked hard to achieve that not around and that they are only honored with what they did while they lived.
Bishop Stima said in those countries people worked for the benefit of all and the future and not for themselves.
He commended the CWO for the project saying it has come at a very good time when the church is implementing what is in the Laudato Si’, a letter from the global head of the church, Pope Francis in which he tackles more on environmental degradation and global warming.
Chair for the CWO in the country, Lucy Vokhiwa, said the project which is targeting 20 schools in Mangochi and Dedza dioceses of the church, will support a school club of 50 learners at each targeted schools as direct beneficiaries who will learn and practice issues of environmental management.
District Coordinator for School Health and Nutrition in the district, Joyce Kululanga, said the project is timely as the children will be learning on environmental management and plant trees.
She said the schools will also directly benefit in a number of ways including the school feeding program as most schools rely on firewood as a source of energy.
A representative of the forestry office in the district, Mary Kamanga, said the project will seal gaps they fail to mend as government resources are always not enough to meet all the needs.
The project, which runs until December 2021, will be supported by Manos UNIDAS from Spain and, locally, they have partnered with the Episcopal Conference of Malawi through Pontifical Mission Society of Malawi and Holy Childhood.
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