LIMBE OCTOBER 3, 2017(CISA) -The Catholic University of Malawi has launched an agribusiness program targeting the clergy.
The training is supported by Mission of United states of America and will be powered by the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS).
Speaking September 26, during the official launch of the six months program, the chairman of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, Most Rev. Thomas Luke Msusa encouraged members of the clergy to enrol for the program since it will benefit the Church in future.
“Gone are the days when the Catholic Church in Malawi solely depended on donor support for its operation. Time has come for the Church to grow and move on using the available land and human resource in Malawi,” he said.
He also asked them to resort to professional agribusiness which requires professional planning and organizational skills in management of farms.
“Today marks an indelible shift in the local Church’s approach towards the usage and management of land for agriculture. The Church in Africa and Malawi has great arable land with good weather and yet, problems of food shortages hit us hard almost every year,” the Archbishop said.
According to AMECEA online news, Pontifical Mission Societies was heeding to the request by Pope Francis in 2013 to help in reducing food insecurity.
National PMS Director for the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, Rev. Fr Vincent Mwakhwawa directed sixteen farm managers from all the eight dioceses in Malawi to enrol and start off the program.
“We expect them to facilitate the change in the communities around the farms and indeed raise funds for smooth operation of evangelization activities in Dioceses and congregations. Already, these priests and nuns who are managing our farmers do preach but this is a new way of preaching and reaching out to many with the word of God,” said Fr Mwakhwawa.
John O’Neil, representative of PMS America at the training hinted that Malawi stands to benefit from the initiative. Local farms will be granted with loans to buy equipment, seeds and manage the farms.
“There are several African countries that are implementing this initiative and there is a tremendous improvement in food security. It is our hope therefore that Malawi, which it’s Bishops have already shown enthusiasm in this initiative moving away from poverty levels,” said O’Neil.
