The President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera, in these days on an official visit to Rome, visited Sant'Egidio. Here he met with Marco Impagliazzo and a delegation of his to share some issues that Sant'Egidio is committed to in Malawi. It has in fact been present in the country for many years, with a widespread presence of communities in the cities and villages and with two major cooperation programmes: Dream, for the prevention and treatment of HIV and various non-transmissible diseases, and Bravo, for birth registration.
During the meeting, Marco Impagliazzo stressed the need to speed up the process of legislation for the abolition of the death penalty in the country - declared unconstitutional in 2021 - and congratulated President Chakwera for having commuted the sentences of all those on death row.
Impagliazzo also underlined the importance of the recent law passed to protect the elderly's rights, which Sant'Egidio has promoted together with other stakeholders.
President Chakwera explained that Malawi is ‘a country rich in God-given goods’, but impoverished by human avarice and climate change. He then thanked the large presence of Sant'Egidio in the country, calling it an example of compassion. 'Sant'Egidio,' he said, 'makes a difference to so many Malawians: the world needs you and Malawi especially.’
President Chakwera, after a moment of prayer for peace in the Church of Sant'Egidio, made an appointment with Marco Impagliazzo in Malawi for the celebration of 25 years of Sant'Egidio's presence in the country next year, saying: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers and you are’.
