Department for External Church Relations
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Church provides humanitarian aid to 1650 starving families in Malawi
DECR Communication Service, 05/01/2025
In December 2024, the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa, with the assistance of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Ministry, provided humanitarian aid to the Orthodox Christian residents of Malawi suffering starvation after the devastating Cyclone Freddy had hit the country in 2023.
Foodstuff packages were distributed among the needy in 44 parishes and communities of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa; 1650 families in all received the aid. Necessary funds were swiftly raised through mirom.help website of the Synodal Department for Charity “Pomozhem” platform.
On 22nd – 29th December, Priest Dionisy Grishkov, chairman of the Missionary Department of the Moscow City Diocese, visited Malawi to coordinate the aid distribution efforts. He worked together with Priest Joachim Bakali, dean of the Diocese of Southern Africa in Malawi. Father Dionisy had already visited Malawi on a humanitarian mission in 2022.
The priests visited nine parishes and distributed over a thousand packages of humanitarian aid. While at the parishes, Father Dionisy delivered sermons and celebrated prayer services for rain to be granted. Local residents could witness how quick the Lord is to succour every person asking Him for help – after first prayers were said, first rain poured down in the drought area.
In Lilongwe, capital of Malawi, Fathers Dionisy and Joachim met with the secretary of the Malawi Red Cross to discuss prospects of establishing cooperation between the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa and Russian and Malawian humanitarian organizations in providing aid to the famished, as well as in assisting those who need medical care in rural areas.
After Father Dionisy departed for Russia, Priest Joachim Bakali continued to distribute humanitarian aid and visited thirteen more parishes, website of the Patriarchal Exarchate of Africa reports.
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