01/02/2006

Catholics to feed 30,000

The Roman Catholic Community of Sant Egidio has said it will feed about 30,000 households in nine districts with relief food over a three-month period.

Alexia Paolino, the movement�s nutrition coordinator, said this at Mtsiliza in Lilongwe where they distributed bags of maize flour, Likuni phala and other food items to orphans, the aged and other needy people.

Paolino said that when members of Sant Egidio in Europe heard about the food crisis in the country, they mobilised themselves and provided financial support for the purchase of the food items.

�We feel there is more joy in giving and we are happy to work with the people of Malawi,� she said.

Mary Shaba, Principal Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet responsible for Nutrition, HIV and Aids�who was the guest of honour at the function, commended the community of Sant Egidio for supporting government efforts to alleviate the suffering of underprivileged people in the country.

She said it was sad that many children and aged people in the country do not have access to adequate nutrition because of poverty.

Shaba said that following an agreement between the government and the Community of Sant Egidio in Italy last year, a number of projects would be implemented under what is called Sharing the Future Project. This includes HIV and Aids programmes.

Group Village Headman Mtsiliza thanked the movement for helping people in his area with relief food.

Community of Sant Egidio was born in Italy in 1968 as a movement of lay people dedicated to evangelism and charity.

Now it has membership in 70 countries. In Malawi it was established in 1999.

George Ntonya