Commemorating Interfaith Harmony Week with Prisoners

Event Date: 7 February, 2016

Description of the Event Activity

In commemoration of Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), five Cooperation Circles (CCs), namely Umodzi CC, Lunzu CC, Lower Shire CC, Matindi CC, and Blantyre CC, on the 7^th of February, 2016, jointly got mobilised for a memorable visit and gift presentations to the sick prisoners under the special healthcare and nutritional support by the Catholic nanny Sister Annie from Mlambe Mission Hospital.

The event started with personal introductions, then a word of prayer and encouragement from Fr. John Ng’oma, which was followed by the reading of scripture by Jacinta Chisi. Thereafter, at least 20 prisoners were given tablets of soap, packets of sugar and a loaf of bread each, from contributions made by the CCs.

On behalf of the prisoners, Sister Annie hailed the URI through the CCs for taking time to visit prisoners and to present them with those groceries. She further said a drop of water to a thirsty man in a desert is worth an ocean. She said she did not take CCs’ effort for granted as the assistance would go a long way in narrowing the deficit. Sister Annie with support from Italian friends constructed a prison block sheltering the sick prisoners at Chichiri Maximum Prison.

Giving background about her initiative, she narrated how she was deeply concerned when she first visited sick prisoners who used to live in congested prison cells. She said she discovered that sick prisoners, most of them living HIV+, their conditions much exacerbated by respiratory problems due to poor aeration, were sequentially dying by each passing day.

She thought she could not just seat and watch prisoners die like flies. She contacted her Italian friends and folks for assistance who equally shared her concern by making monetary contributions towards the need for the construction of a hospice within prison where treatment is being administered and monthly food assistance distributed to the sick prisoners.