Beatrice Chipeta

Beatrice Chipeta, born Bweleka Chipeta (4 October 1942 – 19 June 2019) was a Malawian Roman Catholic nun, primary school teacher, and humanitarian. She founded the Lusubilo Orphan Care and Home-Based Care and Village in Karonga, a community-based organization supporting orphans and vulnerable populations. Her father, Robert Chipeta, was a carpenter, and her mother, Agness Shela, was a nurse. Her father died when she was around two; she was raised communally by her mother's relatives.

She renamed herself Cephas while in primary school, signifying strength. At age 12 she fled to St. Peter's Catholic Full Primary School in Mzuzu to pursue religious life, resisting village elders’ attempts to bring her home for marriage. She completed her teacher training at St. John Bosco Teachers Training College and began teaching in 1964. She then established Lusubilo Home-Based Care and Village in 1997 amid the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Lusubilo provided orphan care, nutrition, vocational training, education, and support to families affected by HIV/AIDS; at one point supporting more than 9,000 orphaned children and 800 vulnerable families annually. The organization has been described as “a gift to the people” of Karonga, reaching over 40,000 vulnerable families through local community structures. Catholic Relief Services later partnered with Lusubilo to strengthen its efforts.

Awards and legacy In 2010, Sister Beatrice was co-awarded the US$1 million Opus Prize, one of the largest faith-based humanitarian awards, shared with Fr. John Halligan of Ecuador.

She has been remembered as a “Mother Teresa of our time” for her humility, kindness, and empathy. A biography, A Gift to the People: Sr. Beatrice Chipeta’s Legacy, was later published to honour her life.

Death Sister Beatrice died suddenly on 19 June 2019 at Karonga District Hospital after a short illness. She was 76 years old and had served as a nun for 57 years. Her requiem was held at St. Peter's Cathedral, and she was buried on 20 June 2019 at Katoto Cemetery, Mzuzu.