Malawi - Delegation

Brief history of the Delegation

The Delegation in Malawi was officially established on 1^st March 2022 as a Delegation of Queen of the Apostles Province of North-East Africa. This is one of the fruits of the process of external reorganization of the Institute, as established by the theme of the XVII General Chapter. The Church in Malawi takes great care of catechesis, education and evangelization in general, and is also attentive to the needs of the people. It is a partner of the government in addressing social problems through schools, hospitals, dispensaries and development projects.

The Canossian Daughters of Charity began their mission in Malawi on 21^st January 1975, at the invitation of the late Bishop Mgr. Alessandro Assolari. The Sisters were invited to help girls and young women who at the time faced great difficulties in education in the Catholic Diocese of Mangochi. In 1991, Malawi became one of the member countries of Queen of the Apostles Province of North-East Africa.

The Canossian Sisters are present in Malawi with five communities distributed in two dioceses. Four communities are established in the diocese of Mangochi, located in the southern region of the country, and one in the archdiocese of Lilongwe, which is the capital of Malawi, in the central region. The Sisters offer various charitable ministries to make Jesus known and loved. They are involved in education from nursery school to high school, in the care of the sick in hospitals, dispensaries and at home, in catechesis and in various parish ministries.

Community of Balaka 1975

This is the first community founded in Malawi, established in 1975, and still hosts one of the pioneer Sisters, M. Luisa Tornaghi, second from the right in the photo. It was opened for the care and formation of secondary school girls and for evangelization. Currently, the community is involved in education through the Bakhita Nursery School and the Bakhita Girls’ Primary School.

Mangochi Community 1981

The community was opened in 1981 in an area with a large Muslim presence. The main ministry is the pastoral care of the sick at Koche Hospital, which serves a large and populous area. The Sisters are also involved in parish activities. There is a residential house for aspirants, currently not in use.

Nsanama Community 1988

The Nsanama community was started in 1988 in a rural setting. The main objective was to provide educational opportunities for girls from the surrounding villages. Currently the Sisters are involved in parish evangelization and education in the nursery and primary school, initially started by the parish family movement.

Kanengo Community 1992

This is the only community located in the Archdiocese of Lilongwe; opened in 1992, it also hosts one of the pioneer Sisters, Sister Giuseppina Allieri, in the centre of the photo. Since then, the Sisters have been working with the parish of St. Francis of Assisi, Kanengo, in a suburban area of the capital Lilongwe. Catechesis, training of leaders for the Basic Christian Communities (B.C.C.) and of the various groups present in the parish, with particular attention to women and young people, are part of the daily mission of the Sisters in this community.

The Sisters also collaborate with several projects: a Home Care Program (HBC) for the support and care of AIDS patients, the Yased project for the development and vocational training of young people and the counselling group for families and young people.

Mponda Community 2002

The Mponda community was started in 2002 in the district of Balaka. It is involved in the educational sector. It was established with the aim of providing quality education and a better future for girls at secondary and tertiary levels. Initially it consisted of the Bakhita Girls Secondary School and the Technical College for commercial and secretarial studies. The community is currently involved in Bakhita Girls Secondary School, a boarding school that houses over 600 girls, providing them with a holistic and quality education.