St Brigid is celebrated on International Women's Day in Lilongwe
Embassy Lilongwe celebrated St Brigid’s day in a different way this year.
On St Brigid's Day this year, the Embassy of Ireland in Malawi challenged students from Chambu Primary School, a local school in Lilongwe, to come up with essays, poems and pieces of art with the theme ‘a woman who inspires you’.
We were absolutely blown away with the response. Over 60 submissions, from poems to pictures to essays, all celebrating Malawian women. Some wrote about presidents and politicians, others teachers or cleaners and others mothers, sisters and daughters. It was exciting to see how women of all different classes and backgrounds inspire children in our local communities. Some even made some Brigid's Crosses, which we were all very impressed with...
Two pupils, Esau and Princess, both aged 12, emerged winners and their big prize was to take the role of a “Diplomat for a Day”, on March 8, International Women’s Day. Esau and Princess were collected from school and driven to the Embassy, had a chat with Ireland’s Ambassador to Malawi, Ambassador O’Grady, and were exposed to how the embassy works and what it means to be a diplomat. They also learned a little something about Ireland and St Brigid...
Our Diplomats for the Day also had an opportunity to visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to understand the role of the Ministry, and to learn about how Malawi engages with other countries all around the world. The Ministry was very impressed with our two young Diplomats for the Day, and showed them where their desks will be once they finish school and join the ministry!
After visiting the Ministry, Esau and Princess helped the embassy host a diplomatic reception, where other ambassadors, diplomats, partners, and a few classmates and teachers from Chambu Primary School joined us to celebrate International Women’s Day in style!