By Patience Harawa

Karonga, January 12, Mana. Karonga Catholic Diocese has sponsored 15 community based paralegal officers from its parishes to undergo comprehensive four-month - legal education training at Mpemba in Blantyre under the Malawi School of Government.

Speaking on Saturday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Karonga, Obert Mkandawire, the Desk Officer for the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, stated that the group of 15 individuals, consisting of 14 males and one female, were selected from parishes within the Rumphi, Karonga, and Chitipa districts.

“Most people in these districts struggle to understand complexities of the country’s laws, hence the introduction of this initiative aims to address the challenge.

"We expect that the four-month training program   will equip these paralegal personnel with knowledge and skills necessary in addressing issues such as Gender Based Violence (GBV), mob justice and witchcraft accusations,” said Mkandawire.

One of the people who are expected to undergo the legal education program hailed the initiative, describing it as a game-changer in his community.

"This training is a game-changer for us, and we are eager to apply knowledge which we will acquire to make a meaningful difference in our communities," Kaonga said.

The only woman amongst the 15 people, Kate Kondowe pledged to work hard in class for the initiative to be meaningful to her community.

This initiative is supported by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN INTERNATION).