In a bid to contribute to strengthened capacity of the Catholic Church in Malawi in dealing with issues to child abuse and creating children’s safe environment, the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) through its development arms of Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM) and Education Commission recently organized a two day workshop for Catholic formators and Vocational directors to drill them
on child protection issues.
The workshop which took place at Thondwe Pastoral Centre in Zomba follows the approval of the Child Protection Policy for the Catholic Church by Bishops in Malawi during their plenary assembly in June this
year.
Presenting his paper at the workshop, ECM’s Child Protection Officer, Chimwemwe Phiri said the Church has a crucial role of balancing safeguarding children so that they grow holistically and protecting them from all kinds of abuses within the Church structures or outside the Church.
Phiri acknowledged the existence of the various forms of abuses by the clergy/religious and the laity and stressed that there is no way the Church can just seat back to ignore them. He further explained that it is against this background that ECM organized this workshop to advance issues of child protection with Formators and Vocation Directors in an effort to lobby for inclusion of child protection issues in their formation houses.
“How do we feel when children are hurt? And Are there situations in our daily ministry where we feel we could have done more to preserve their future?,” wondered Phiri.
Phiri urged participants to take a critical look at the problem and devise better mechanisms of addressing the challenges at hand.
For his part, Education Secretary for ECM, Brother Pascar Mtuwana said
Catholic bishops in the country are committed to protecting the rights
of a child and this is the reason they approved the policy which is
aimed at safe guarding the life of a child.
He said the workshop therefore was a platform for the formators and
Vocational Directors to ensure that they incorporate issues of child
protection in their respective programs at their institutions.
“The Policy document which was approved by our bishops will among
others ensure that the clergy, religious men and women and the laity
in Malawi are sensitive to issue of child protection, create a safe
environment and secure at atmosphere for children so that they develop
a sense of worthiness for themselves and others and gradually achieve
a full and harmonious development of their personalities,” said
Brother Mtuwana.
He said the Child Protection project comes amidst consideration in
the increase of reported [and unreported] child abuse cases in Malawi
(all forms),therefore it is necessary that Church activities now
become sensitive to Child Protection issues in fulfillment of its
evangelization mission of love and justice.
“The project is in line with the Gospel values of our Lord “Let the
children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that
the Kingdom of God belongs” Mark 10:13-15),”he said.
For his part, Fr. Frank Chingale, the Dean of Studies at Kachebere
Major Seminary commended ECM for taking an initiative to protect
children from any abuse forms saying this is a breakthrough for the
church as it breaks up the existing silence by the church on child
abuses.
“As sisters, priests and religious men and women in the church, I feel
it is high time we supported this initiative by our bishops in
protecting a child within or outside the church. I entirely agree with
the presenters to this workshop that we should now incorporate issues
of Child protection in our programs,” he said.
Participants to the workshop were drawn from the formation houses and seminaries in Malawi.
The Child Protection Project is funded by Trocaire for the initial
period of one year to the tune of U$D 48,000