Malawians should embrace the spirit of volunteerism at all levels of society if the country’s governance aspects are to benefit everyone, says President Arthur Peter Mutharika.

He was speaking on Friday at Kamuzu Palace when he officially launched the 2016 Red Cross Flag Week.

In his speech the President described volunteering as one sure way of serving humanity.

“ Volunteering is at the heart of governance and good citizenship. I therefore appeal to all Malawians, to please begin to volunteer your time, resources, or talents for charitable, educational, or other worthwhile activities, for the sake of others, for our umunthu. If we have many volunteers in our villages and towns, we will be responding better when there is need for intervention,” said President Mutharika who is Malawi Red Cross Society Patron.

He hailed Red Cross for its unceasing contribution to humanitarian endeavors since the year 1863.

“If the world is a better place to live in today, this is partly because of the work that humanitarian organizations like the Red Cross movement, carry out among our communities.”

The Red Cross, the world’s largest and oldest humanitarian organization, was founded in 1863 by a Geneva businessman, Henri Dunant, in response to the suffering of injured soldiers abandoned on the battlefield of Solferino in northern Italy. Since then, it has grown to become the largest humanitarian organization in the world with millions of volunteers and employing thousands of workers across the world.

Here in Malawi Red Cross was formed as a national humanitarian society by Act of Parliament number 51 of 1966 and has over the years helped vulnerable societies mainly during natural disasters such as floods.

President Mutharika – a long serving member of Red Cross himself-noted the challenges the organization is facing and called upon stakeholders to offer a helping hand.

The President kick-started the fundraising by donating to Red Cross K1 million.