MALAWI: Year of Successes and Milestones – ECM Secretary General Assesses 2018
Rev Fr. Henry Saindi, the Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi has said the year 2018, has been a year of successes despite the challenges encountered during the year.
Fr. Saindi said this during an interview with ECM Communications whereby he gave an assessment of how the Church as an institution has fared in the year 2018.
Highlighting some of the successes, the Secretary General mentioned the Launch of the new ECM 2018-2022 Strategic Framework at the beginning of the year as the framework that was being used had expired and there was need to review it; and the Revised and Improved Management Standards and Policies, saying that the institution managed to review its policies and come up with management standards according to what is expected of members belonging to Caritas family.
He continued saying that the Church has also excelled in a number of sectors which include excellent pass-rate in Catholic secondary schools as the only student who best grade at School Leaving Certificate exams in 2018 is from a Catholic school, while boys and girls in Catholic schools continue to produce good results.
In health sector, the Church’s Health Commission reached out to all districts in Malawi with interventions to reduce tuberculosis, with financial support from the Global Fund. According to Fr Saindi, this is in addition to the health services being provided to the entire nation through Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM).
In development, the Church also continued to provide humanitarian aid, agricultural programs and many other interventions to all areas and all people regardless of their religious affiliation through the Catholic Development Commission (CADECOM). Also, the Justice and Peace Commission continued to be the conscious of the people in areas of transparency and accountability, while the Catholic media reached out to the rural masses with the Word of God through both print and electronic media.
In 2018, the ECM’s Pastoral Commission has come up with a pastoral directorate to give direction in so many areas of pastoral activities; and it has also launched the Catechetical syllabus.
Team spirit embraced by the Commissions at all levels; the spirit of service to the people; and adherence to donor requirements – these strategies at the Catholic Secretariat led to the realization of the achievements cited above, says Fr Saindi.
On the other hand, the Secretary General cited challenges such as limited funding due to phasing out of projects and many project proposals not being approved created a lot of pressure on administration resources; high staff turnover as some key members left in search for greener pastures or to pursue further studies – these disturbed the institution.
Fr. Saindi thanked Bishops of the Conference who he said are behind the 2018 successes of the Catholic Secretariat and the entire Church in the country. He also thanked the Staff Members at the Secretariat for their hard working spirit and the partners for their support. However, he urges Staff members and all Catholics to remember the purpose of Christmas, saying that without Christ Christmas is nothing, hence the need to celebrate responsibly.
By: ECM’s Stella Zulu
