On a scorching Sunday afternoon, far from the polished halls of hotels and auditoriums, St Agnes Catholic Choir from Lilongwe, chose an unconventional stage for a message they say can save lives. The choir launched its debut CD and DVD, Khala Okonzeka, in a section of Area 24 in Lilongwe, home to a community that has had a share of the country’s troubling suicide cases. The song confronts Malawi’s growing suicide crisis head-on, delivering a plea for hope, solidarity and open conversations around mental health.
The launch drew the presence of Father David Niwagaba, director of Luntha Television who was also the guest of honour He praised the choir for what he called “a timely and socially urgent” musical intervention. “The song addresses a current problem affecting families across Malawi,” he said. “We hope it will save lives.” The urgency is real.
Between 2022 and 2025, Malawi recorded more than 2 014 suicides, according to Malawi Police statistics. In 2025 alone, from January through September, 482 people died by suicide — the majority being young men. Health authorities link the rise to economic hardship, family pressures, social isolation and limited access to mental health services.
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Niwagaba said the song’s influence has already reached far beyond Malawi’s borders. “The song has gone viral,” he said. “When we checked with producer Louis Suwedi, the video had surpassed one million views in a very short time.” The international response prompted a symbolic show of support.
Niwagaba announced a contribution of K1.3 million toward the album, a donation from Agnes Chimbiri-Molande, Malawi’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, who he said had also been moved by the message behind Tisaziphe. Local church leadership echoed that sentiment. The Parish Priest of St.
John Msamba Parish, to which St. Agnes Choir belongs, Father Patrick Lipenga, said he was encouraged by the song’s impact during what he described as a difficult moment for Malawians facing economic and social strain. Mental health advocates say such artistic interventions may offer a bridge where formal services remain overstretched.
As the choir’s voices carried across Area 24, the afternoon became more than a music launch. It was a public appeal to a nation searching for answers, delivered from the very community where the message is needed most. “It was a historic event in the history of music launches in our area.
Our space was filled to capacity by both the choir and the general public, a contrast to other launches where choirs outnumber ordinary people,” said Innocent Mtendezi, St. Agnes Choir chairperson.
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