AFRICA/MALAWI - “For believers in Malawi where the serious food shortage continues October will be above all a month of prayer” says a local Monfort Missionary

Tuesday, 11 October 2005

Lilongwe (Fides Service)- “In this month of October Christians and Muslims are turning to prayer to help straighten the situation which threatens to get out of hand. The new moon marked the beginning of the Muslim month of prayer and fasting Ramadan, and October is for Catholics of course the month of Rosary” Monfort missionary Fr Giorgio Gamba said in a letter to Fides. The Italian born missionary has worked for decades in Malawi now close to a state of calamity with over four million people in danger of starving to death.
“Hunger was also the theme of a recent debate a two monthly event organised by the Balaka Debating Club. Sponsored by Montfort Media Centre of information these meetings have become very popular and this is the 20th in the series. Themes debated in the past have included: equality man-woman, politics, family law which fails to recognise the wife’s right to inherit, the town of Balaka and its urgent needs, clean water, healthcare...
“The initiative builds a sense of community and reciprocal trust and enables Montfort Media to be part of the community” the missionary said and continued: “One Muslim village chief said everyone talks about hunger but no one ever comes to see what it is like when there is nothing to eat. Some suggest importing elephants from India to help cultivate the fields, others say hunger is not caused by deforestation because Malawi was hungry even before its trees were felled, other say what is needed is a change of diet and produce, ... but now it is too late to talk about what to do and what to plant...hunger is now an emergency, brutally present, and all that matters is where to find grain and how to resist until March 2006 when the next harvest is expected”.
“These coming months will be an adventure for the entire community and before considering what help may come from other countries it is in search of a local solution. Already in various parts of the country people live off cooked bamboo leaves, wild berries and herbs” Fr. Gamba concluded. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 11/10/2005 righe 32 parole 422)


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