MALAWI: PMS Lilongwe in Reforestation Program
Pupils from a school in Lilongwe water a tree seedling they planted
The Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, in line with the nation’s tree planting exercise, has set in to preserve nature by engaging children in planting trees as a way of fighting climate change which Malawi is facing.
This has been achieved through efforts put in sensitizing priests, Religious and Youth Animators on the importance of planting trees in 22 parishes in the Archdiocese, thanks to the Society of the Holy Childhood which funded the whole exercise.
The Diocesan PMS office distributed Moringa seedlings in the parishes from 8th to 17th of January so that children together with leaders and Christians can participate in the reforestation program. Moringa has been chosen because of its nutritional value which will benefit many children in a low income country like Malawi. Apart from Moringa trees, the selected parishes will also plant seedlings of their choice.
St. Anne’s – Guilleme Parish in Mchinji district was the first to inaugurate this exercise in which boys’ and girls’ primary schools planted 600 trees. Other parishes like St. Ignatius – Police Headquarters, St. John’s – Msamba, St. John Paul II – Chitedze, and St. Paul’s –Mlale Minor Seminary followed suit.
In his address to children and parishioners of St. Annes’ Guilleme Parish, the Archdiocesan PMS Director, Fr. Francis Lekaleka said this was a response to the call by the Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si where he encouraged everybody to be responsible in taking care of the environment. He said planting trees is easy but taking care of them should be a priority. He then urged all the children to own the trees that they planted and ensure they are safe from dangers such as fire and lack of water.
He thanked Archbishop Tarsizio G. Ziyaye of the Archdiocese of Lilongwe for encouraging the reforestation program for the children in the Archdiocese. The Episcopal Conference of Malawi, in its statement on the preparations of the Extraordinary Mission Month, urged Christians in all the 8 dioceses to plant trees in the Month of January as a way of demonstrating their missionary responsibilities.
There has been a lot of excitement ignited by this reforestation program and the ECM efforts. Although the exercise has been initiated by the Missionary Childhood, it is evident that even the youth and the parents are taking part.
It is expected that around 5000 trees will be planted by the end of the exercise. The office of the Archdiocesan PMS Lilongwe therefore, expects to start monitoring the trees in the mid-month of March this year.
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By: Rosemary Tsokabanda
