Bushiri bails out Salima boy caught stealing maize
Bushiri provided the boy and his mother with new clothes and pledged to send the boy to a boarding school, according to church officials.
SALIMA, Malawi— Shepherd Bushiri, leader of the Enlightened Christian Gathering church, has bailed out a Salima boy who gained attention on social media after being caught stealing maize from a garden and punished without clothes on, writes Lumbani Kaunda.
Bushiri provided the boy and his mother with new clothes and pledged to send the boy to a boarding school, according to church officials.
"Bushiri was touched by the boy's difficult circumstances that led him to steal food," said the Rev. Ian Ndhlovu, the church's head of communications.
"He wanted to give this child a second chance at life through an education."
The boy's identity was not disclosed to protect his privacy.
Viral videos had shown the minor being punished publicly after being caught taking maize from a garden, sparking outrage over his treatment.
Ndhlovu said Bushiri personally met with the boy and his mother over the weekend to provide them with new clothes, groceries and other essentials.
The church is now processing his admission to a boarding school.
"Bushiri believes every child deserves access to quality education, food and clothes regardless of their family's situation," Ndhlovu said.
"He hopes sending this young man to school can open up opportunities."
Bushiri, one of Malawi's most influential religious leaders, has a long track record of philanthropic initiatives through his church's charity work assisting students, prisoners, rural communities and disaster victims across the country.
Human rights activists praised Bushiri's intervention as an example for others to follow in protecting vulnerable children. However, some critics argued enabling petty crime could promote impunity.
For the Salima boy, Bushiri's assistance provided relief amid difficult circumstances and a pathway toward a brighter future.