Introducing Fr Owen O'Donnell, Parish Priest of Sitima

Bambo Owen, as he is referred to over here has lived in Malawi for 34 years but not all of it in Sitima. He first came to the parish in 1987 staying for 7 years and then returned in 2011. The various roles he has undertaken within the Zomba Diocese means that he is known to so many people. You can’t go anywhere with him, without hearing someone fondly calling out loud ‘Bambo’.

To me, he is the man who welcomed me to the village, has introduced me to people far and wide and is a constant source of guidance and advice for which I am truly grateful.

Here he has taken time to share some of his experiences and knowledge with you

Can you describe the directions your role takes you in?

· Parish priest -being available for people at important times in their lives, baptisms. marriages, sickness and death. Supporting the development of faith based activities within the parish, which actually consists of 8 churches and 44 small Christian communities. The fact that there are 8 churches and just two priests means we cannot get to all parishes for Sunday mass. I so appreciate the enthusiasm of the parishioners who show real joy as they celebrate weekly services which are organised and delivered by parishioners when myself or Fr Charlie can’t be there.

· Project manager – building the infrastructure in and around Sitima – schools, grain mills, village halls, churches. Currently involved in three building projects, creating a classroom block at Likangala School, a school hall at Luntha Secondary School and now a clinic based here in the village of Sitima. The importance of this cannot be overstated. To be allowed an emergency appointment at the hospital, patients need to be referred by a clinic and currently the sick travel 11+kms by foot or on the back of a bicycle to get any pain relief or that important referral slip before a doctor will see them. The new clinic at Sitima will stop that journey but unfortunately it can do nothing about the 23km journey to hospital. Plans afoot for the clinic include sessions for pre and post natal health care, under 5s, HIV testing and aftercare, distribution of TB treatments, health education and emergency response.

· Community Development worker – supporting people as they change their mindset and behaviours and move to a less dependent society

What has been your most memorable moment?

In the eighties it was building St Michael’s Secondary School, the first secondary school in the area enabling young people to extend their education post primary. There are now 3 secondary schools, two of which I have built, serving 17 primaries and as a result, increased opportunities for jobs and income

What is your favourite time of day?

It can be any time of day but I value the time I spend with people; visiting the elderly and the housebound, meeting people one on one, sitting under the mango tree in the village catching up with villagers as they go about their daily lives, collecting water, firewood, going to school, to their garden, to the maize mill and often quite simply taking the time to meet and chat with others.

Plans for the future

My immediate plans are to secure the funding to complete the building of the clinic. We have been fortunate in receiving donations towards building the toilets, incinerator and waiting room. We now need another £40 000 to create the main clinic and a couple of nurses’ homes - our rural situation makes it difficult for nurses to travel on a daily basis.

Hopes for Sitima?

That we find a way of breaking the dependency cycle and as a community, at the mercy of the climate, we grow enough food, year on year, to keep everyone healthy

Hopes for Malawi?

Pretty much the same as for Sitima, we are a small country where 90% of the population survive on subsistence farming yet despite the vagaries of the weather and the impact of climate change the people are forever optimistic and not brought down by the many challenges in their daily lives.

If we could only export our family values we would indeed be a very rich country. Our children are free to roam, with parents safe in the knowledge that the whole community is looking out for them. The extended family is the norm. AIDS has blighted many families but survivors old and young are supported.

It is certainly a privilege and a pleasure to live and work here in warm heart of Africa.