Author: Radio Alinafe

The Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB) has announced that it will officially launch the National Laity Day celebrations on 25 October 2025 at Ntcheu Parish in the Diocese of Dedza.

Making the announcement in Lilongwe on Friday, Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Mwakhwawa, who spoke on behalf of the Bishop President of the Pastoral Commission, said this year’s celebrations will be held under the theme “Be Converted and Live.”

Bishop Mwakhwawa called on all Catholics across the country to take an active role in preparing for the event, emphasizing the importance of unity and participation among the faithful.

“The National Laity Day provides an opportunity for Catholics to reflect on their mission in the Church and society. We therefore encourage all dioceses, parishes, and lay groups to support the preparations,” Bishop Mwakhwawa said.

His lordship disclosed that the event has a budget of K14 million and appealed for both financial and material contributions from the faithful and well-wishers.

On his part, Onances Nyirenda, an Executive Member of the National Laity Council, said preparations are progressing well, with committees already in place to handle logistics, liturgy, and publicity.

“We are in the final stages of organizing the event. The response from dioceses and parish councils has been encouraging, and we look forward to a successful celebration,” Nyirenda said.

The National Laity Day is an annual event aimed at promoting the active participation of lay Catholics in the mission of the Church, in line with the vision of the Second Vatican Council which emphasizes the role of the laity in evangelization and community service.

This year’s national launch at Ntcheu Parish is expected to draw participants from all eight dioceses across the country.

By Monica Chinyama

Education authorities in the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe have praised the outcome of the ECO STAR School project at Chiotha Primary School in the area of Traditional Authority (T.A.) Kabudula in Lilongwe District.

During a tour to appreciate how the school is implementing the project on Tuesday 14 October 2025, which involved donors Wilde Ganlzen and implementing partners Edukanz, Chrissy Mithi, Education Coordinator in the Archdiocese, expressed gratitude to Chiotha Primary School for its excellent work.

The school is implementing pig farming, a woodlot, a vegetable garden, and an Eco Star Learners Council, which has fostered strong coordination among learners, teachers, and the community.

Mibawa tree woodlot vist

woodlot

vegetable garden

pig farming

Mithi emphasized Chiotha Primary School’s commitment compared to other schools, citing their exemplary care of the trees and successful pig farming.

“We are satisfied because in some schools, for example, in Nsalu, we might find only three pigs, but here we have 11, And even the woodlot is very encouraging. We have seen that the Mibawa trees there are 50 and are surviving; in some schools, we find only a few surviving, but not at Chiotha. So, Chiotha is very encouraging in how they are managing their micro-projects.” She noted.

She expressed commitment to continued supervision of the project to ensure its sustainability as it phases out next year.

“In terms of sustainability, we are looking at the micro-projects themselves. The vegetable garden will continue because they will use the sales realized to buy seeds and continue. Likewise, the pig farming will continue because they sell the pigs.”

In his remarks, Edwin Chimwendo, the Head Teacher for Chiotha Primary School, expressed his joy with the ECO STAR School project, saying it has helped in teaching the community about environmental conservation.

Chimwendo added that it has also provided learners with practical lessons using the gardens and woodlots, thereby improving their performance.

Meanwhile, Kees De Jong, Director of the Wilde Ganlzen Foundation, said they saw it as important to work with Malawian communities to assist in conserving the environment, which is a major challenge.

De Jong expressed satisfaction with the collaboration between the community and the school in the project’s implementation.

“At this school, there is much more dominance of parents and children. For example, the children have a children’s council, and they report when there is bullying or teacher absenteeism, and they find a way to report this through the head teacher, this way, you can also discipline teachers through pupils. So, that’s very unique, and it works very well.”

The visitors earlier met with the auxiliary bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe His Lordship Right Reverend Vincent Mwakhwawa before touring the school.

By Peter Dumayo.