By Sheminah Nkhoma

Lilongwe, May 30, Mana: Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima, has urged students in the country to take spiritual discipline seriously to avoid being ruled by evils of the world which has affected many.

The Minister said this on Friday when she attended prayers for secondary school students organised by Women’s Day of Prayer at Mbidzi  Secondary School, an event which attracted participants from over 15 public secondary schools from Lilongwe.

Wirima said it is important for students to nurture the soul and not only focuse on academic journey adding that when one walks with God everything falls in place.

“The students need to be engaged in spiritual conversations where they can have preaching sessions,” she said, adding: “Some of the problems, like mental health, which children are experiencing these days, are because we have left out spiritual nourishment for the learners.”

She further stated that government is committed to ensuring that they are providing quality education for all students in the country.

Lilongwe District President for Women’s Day of Prayer, Alice Majankono, said such prayers help students grow  in spiritual life and morals.

“We wanted to instill the spirit of faith in the students that they should depend on God in whatever they are doing in their lives such that they should be able to develop the nation as they have good spiritual connection,” said Majankono.

In her remarks, Coordinator for students’ prayers, Rose Kalizang’oma, said they organised the event to spiritually support the students as they are in adolescent stage, with many challenges facing them in society.

“We thought it important to organise these prayers as they bring together people from different religious backgrounds to gather in unity just to pray ,”

One of the students from  Bwaila  Secondary School, Regina Dumba, expressed gratitude for the prayers, saying beside working hard in class. they will always put God first as that’s what they have been guided to do.

The prayers. which were held under the theme; “I Made You Wonderful,” aimed to mould students spiritually and prepare them for the Junior Certificate Examination (JCE), and Malawi School Certificate Examination (MSCE).