Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides) – The laborious activity of the missionaries is the best way to celebrate World Mission Day in Malawi. Fr. Piergiorgio Gamba, Montfort Missionary who has been working in the small African nation for 30 years, tells Agenzia Fides that in Malawi, “there is always something new. In September, for example, there was an official inauguration of the Cecilia Youth Center, attended by local authorities and the Italian Ambassador. The center serves over 300 youth and is named after a young Italian girl who is no longer here on earth with us, but from heaven is overseeing this project.”
The Cecilia Youth Center began thanks to the commitment of many Italian volunteers and only a year after its being built, a large library and other recreational spaces were added on. “The center is a fundamental source of inspiration for formators and educators in the country, so that they continue with their educational work, which is essential during these difficult years: in addition to the daily hunger, there is also the cultural and social changes that threaten the well-being of this generation of youth,” said Fr. Gamba. The youth are 60% of Malawi’s population.
Another important initiative of the Montfort Missionaries was the donation of fifty books (two copies per title) from Montfort Media in Balaka, to 153 public grammar schools in Balaka and a private girls’ school run by the Canossian Sisters. “There are various texts. There are simple books with colored figures, and reference books for professors on how to play their role and encourage the youth in these difficult times, marked especially by the spread of AIDS. There is a whole generation of youth to be saved. There are a million orphans from AIDS,” Fr. Gamba said. Montfort Media has distributed 15,400 books to 97,501 children.
Montfort Media of Balaka, is a Catholic publishing house that was founded in 1986 to promote religious, educational, social, and cultural sensibilities and evangelize through the press. They publish pamphlets, books, magazines, and newspapers in Chichewa and English. They recently began publishing works in Tumbuka and the translation in the Malawi language of books published in the neighboring countries of Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The majority of the books and publications address topics related to HIV and AIDS, and are meant for youth. Montfort Media is one of the main sources of employment in Balaka, and contributes to poverty reduction through creating jobs. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 15/10/2008)
