MANERELA urges religious leaders to embrace members of key populations

One of Malawi’s popular religious bodies fighting against HIV and Aids pandemic and ruman rights called Malawi Network of Religious Leaders Living With or Personally affected with HIV and Aids (MANERELA) has asked faith leaders in the country to embrace members of the key population in the society particulary members of the LGBTI [Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex].

The plea was made during an orientation meeting MANERELA organised this week in Blantyre and Mangochi aimed at ensuring that religious leaders develop an understanding of human sexuality as a starting point for creating an enabling environment for the key populations in Malawi.

According to a MANERELA official and Human Rights Defender (HRD) Harold Kachepatsonga, the two year Project worth $100,000 USD dubbed ‘Towards and enabling environment for LGBTI communities is being funded by (Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa.

“Our goal is to contribute towards the creation of an enabling environment fo LGBTI Community.” he said.

Kachepatsonga added that the main objective of the meeting is to scale up awareness campaign among religious leaders and faith community on LGBTI related issues.

“We also want to advocate for a more tolerant faith community towards LGBTI,” said Kachepatsonga.

However, Kachepatsonga distanced MANERELA from assertions that the organizatins is fighting for legalization of same sex marriages.

“Our only way is to also set those who do such behaviour [LGBTI] regardless of the cause to retain to the teaching of religion. They should be embraced and natured not just shunned and excommunicated because it is our duty to adherents of religion,” Kachepatsonga said.

The project “Towards an enabling environment for LGBTI Communities through engagement of religious leaders as change agents is been carried out in four districts of Mangochi, Zomba, Blantyre and Mzuzu of key population

Malawi remains among few African Countries that treats LGBTI’s as a taboo.

According to the laws of Malawi, same sex marriages are illegal but Human Rights Bodies insists that everyone has a right to do whatever pleases him or her since Malawi is a democratic country.

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