Zomba holds candlelight memorial ceremony
People from all walks of life last week held a candlelight memorial ceremony at Bimbi Village, Senior Chief Kuntumanji in Zomba to remember Malawians who have died of HIV and Aids.
Speaking at the event, Group Village Head Bimbi was thankful to the organising committee for considering his area to host this year’s ceremony.
“I do not take this for granted because it is the first time that this event has been staged here. This will definitely assist in disseminating HIV and Aids message to my subjects,” Bimbi said.
In an interview, district Aids coordinator for Zomba, Julius Kadewa, urged people living with HIV to continue taking anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) for them to live longer.
He also encouraged people to abstain from sexual activities and stop stigma.
“We chose this area for the ceremony because it is very close to Lake Chilwa and a number of businesspersons indulge in immoral behaviour which exposes them to HIV and Aids. This is a good platform for us to spread the message about Aids so that we should have healthy Malawians who can positively contribute to the development of the nation,” said Kadewa.
Chikumbutso Likandawe, councillor for Namilongo Ward in which Bimbi falls, said the ceremony was timely considering that many people are prone to HIV and Aids in the area.
He urged people to undergo HIV counselling and testing (HCT) for them to know their sero-status.
The ceremony, which is held annually, was sponsored by, among others, the National Aids Commission (NAC), Malawi Carer and World Vision Malawi.
Over 130 people underwent HCT on the day. n
