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Stories from Malawi

Martha Hiwa

Martha Hiwa is a physically challenged woman from Kalembo village in Balaka District. She did not finish Primary School. She is married in a polygamous marriage and spends most of her time on her own, as she says her husband prefers his other wife. In the past, Martha was food insecure and lacked basic household essentials. She was excluded from development programmes on the basis of her being physically challenged. Under Self Help Africa initiatives in Kalembo Impact Area, Martha received 3 goats (2 does and 1 buck) in 2007 after the Village Development Committee learnt in one of the trainings that women empowerment, joint decision making on equal access and control of resources amongst males and females in families, reduces gender based violence in communities.

To date she has 6 goats of her own, something she never envisioned she would possess. She has been able to construct a good house and user friendly toilet as she could not access the available toilets due to walking difficulties.

She was quoted as saying “I did not know that I can own my own livestock in this life, thanks to Self Help Africa”. She is a now a role model in her village, proving to the community that “disability is not inability”.

  •  This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
  • Pictures taken by: Chipiliro Khonje.
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Stories from Malawi

Lucia Kanyoza

Lucia Kanyoza and her husband from Chibvala Extension Planning Area in Dowa district, planted amaranth seed on 3 standard beds in their garden and they were amazed by the income they realised from the sales. With little effort, they managed to harvest twice a week in a period of five weeks. Every time Lucia takes her vegetable to the market for sale, she brings home between MwK3,500 and MwK 3,700. This is a much higher profit compared to earnings from the same volume of other vegetables she also sells. The money is used to buy food and other basic necessities for the household. Since the activities were done as a family, it has helped Lucia to have access and control over the household resources.

Lucia was quoted as saying ‘taphunzira kugwira ntchito limodzi ngati banja,’ meaning ‘Me and my husband have realised the goodness of planning together. This has reduced gender based violence (GBV) in our household as there is greater harmony, and well being in the family.”

The family of Mr and Mrs Kazinga are now a role model in the fight against gender and domestic violence in their community because of the benefits they have realised from the access and control of the resources they get from farming proceedings.

  •  This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
  • Pictures taken by: Chipiliro Khonje.
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Stories from Malawi

Malita Chikhosi

Born 41 years ago Malita Chikhosi is happily married to Village Head man Funsani. They have three sons and live in Dowa district. Life before chicken production was difficult for Malita as she could not access money from her husband, who was the sole provider of the home. Due to cultural norms they never realized it was possible for husband and wives to sit together and plan for the family. Thanks to Self Help Africa who initiated a programme specifically to uplift lives of women economically, Malita joined a group of 10 women who received 200 hundred chickens. The group managed to keep them all alive and now they are selling cocks. In the group men were involved in constructing khola’s in a way of reinforcing families to work together and in the process there were discussions on gender equality.Currently the women are selling the chickens at an average price of MK 3,000.00 and managed to share MK 19,000 from cockerel sales in 4 weeks time. They are hoping to get MK 300,000 from the egg sales with which they will buy fertilizer for the maize gardens and pay school fees for their children. This has increased Malita’s confidence in decision making as she is able to plan together with her husband in a way teaching her husband the goodness of planning together.

She was quoted as saying “if all goes according to plan we will construct a house with iron sheets’

  • This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
  • Pictures taken by: Chipiliro Khonje
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Stories from Malawi

Grace Petros

Grace Petros was born in 1958, she is married and has six children, five boys and one girl. Grace comes from Mlemba Village, T/A Nyachikadza, Nsanje District. Grace described the situation for women and girls in times of flooding prior to GOAL’s intervention under the DipECHO III and Irish Aid funded programme.

“I once came to live on the camps when floods and disaster struck… at first we used to rent houses but there was a challenge because people used to steal our property and the rented spaces were not always safe places for women and girls. The men sometimes go to rent houses and leave us to stay on the camp”.

Grace acknowledges the impact of the GOAL established Bitilinyu evacuation centre in protecting women and girls from Nyachikadza Village during times of disaster. When asked what her biggest hopes and fears for her one daughter are, she said: “I would like her to finish school and find a good job, she needs to save herself so that she doesn’t contract diseases, these days the world is no longer the same”. Grace is proud of her keen farming abilities which support her and her family.

  • This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
  • Pictures taken by: Chipiliro Khonje
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Stories from Malawi

Veronica Obed

Veronica Obed is 43 and lives in Chazuka Village T/A Tengani in Nsanje District. Veronica is married and has 7 children, 4 boys and 3 girls. Veronica participates in the DFID, Norwegian Government and Irish Aid funded DISCOVER project (Developing Innovative Solutions with Communities to Overcome Vulnerability through Enhanced Resilience) with GOAL.

Veronica spoke of how joining the Chitetezo Mbaula (energy efficient stove) group has reduced the need for firewood. Veronica notes that the reduced time spent travelling long distances for firewood has minimised the risk of gender based violence. “We had to travel long distances waking up at 4am…we would meet nasty men who would want to take advantage of us, at times we were caught in traps set for wild animals, which was risky and painful”. Veronica also spoke of the difference the Chitetezo Mbaula has made to her life.

“…using the Mbaula our firewood lasts for some time, for at least 2 weeks. With the Mbaula we can even use bean stalks to light the fire”.

The Mbaula has made a huge difference to Veronica and other women’s lives in that they no-longer have to frequently travel to the forest to fetch firewood. In addition Veronica says the Mbaula has impacted positively on the overall wellbeing of her and her family in terms of increasing income generating opportunities integral to women’s self-empowerment.

“We sell the Mbaula we make in the group and buy household stuff and we get that money and use for VSL” (Village savings and Loans).

  • This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
  • Pictures taken by : Chipiliro Khonje
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Stories from Malawi

Ruth Julius

Ruth Julius is 38, married with 5 children, 2 boys and 3 girls. Ruth lives in Kamphata Village, T/A Chimombo, Nsanje District and participates in the DFID, Norwegian Government and Irish Aid funded DISCOVER (Developing Innovative Solutions with Communities to Overcome Vulnerability through Enhanced Resilience) project with GOAL. Ruth is a member of the VSL and Chitetezo Mbaula (energy efficient stove) initiative. She is also the chairperson of the Village Civil Protection Committee (VCPC).

Ruth recognizes the value of education to ensure a bright future for her children. She sites sending her children to school as the primary reason she joined the local Village Savings and Loans (VSL) scheme. Ruth highlights her improved purchasing power as a result of the scheme: “I have been able to buy a lot of things, iron sheets, a goat and food for the children. This time I am going to buy school uniform for all my children…this way they can’t be sent back from school”. The Chitetezo Mbaula and the VSL groups
have made a huge difference to her life: “I get money from selling the Mbaula, and I then save it with the group…this money helps us
a lot as a family…I am able to buy things with it…if I didn’t have this money I am afraid my girls could have chosen to get married because
as a parent I would have failed them”. Ruth notes that poverty often contributes to early marriage among young girls in her community.

  • This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
  • Pictures taken by : Chipiliro Khonje
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Stories from Malawi

Rose Simawo

Rose Simawo travelled on a canoe from T/A Nyachikadza, Mpambachulu village to Ndamera village to meet the GOAL team regarding the 16 days of Activism against Violence Campaign. The Nyachikadza area is well known for flooding. Rose is 32 years old, married and has three sons aged 15, 12 and 8.

Rose is most proud of: “my happy life, friends, family and my healthy life”. She continues, “for women and girls lives to improve they need not be stamped on”. Rose has attended GOAL Malawi’s training on early warning systems through the DipECHO III and Irish Aid funded programme and recounts what she learned at the training i.e. “that the red flag means danger and a green flag means things are ok…the training has taught us to prepare beforehand…a place where we can settle when floods hit, therefore we come to the camp”. The camp that Rose speaks of is Bitilinyu evacuation centre built by GOAL in Ndamera, Nsanje. She describes the camp as “… safe, we have separate toilets for men and women”.

She compares her present situation to the one before: “we would meet so many challenges, crocodiles…our property would be destroyed, other people would go to classrooms, and other people would be destitute”. Rose appreciates the safe space available for her community including women and girls during times of flood.

  • This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
  • Pictures taken by : Chipiliro Khonje
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Stories from Malawi

Olive Gunyais

Olive Gunyais is aged 15 and is from Malasa village in Nkhotakota District. She does not know her father. Her mother married another man and moved away from her children five years ago. Olive was raised in her grandparents’ home.

In 2013 Olive joined her mother and stepfather in Blantyre, where her step-brother was given preferential treatment. “My step brother is sent to a private school where school fees are K10,000 per term, while my sister and I go to a government school where there is no fee paid. My stepfather says that boys are more intelligent and can finish school but girls may get married and waste his money.” She adds: “My stepbrother does not do any house chores, he gets up in the morning, has a bath and eats breakfast and goes to school while us girls have to light fires, wash plates, fetch water from a public water tap and prepare breakfast for the family before going to school.”

Rejected and worried about her future, Olive returned to her grandmother’s home in Nkhotakota. There, her aunt introduced Olive to the Skillz Girl Initiative. The initiative uses fun interactive methods to provide life skills and gender education, through a partnership between Concern Worldwide and Grassroot Soccer. Olive attended a one-week camp where she learned about gender, sex, and HIV in a safe and welcoming environment.

“In a girls-only session I am able to freely discuss life issues unlike in school where girls were mixed with boys” Olive says.

 

  • This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
  • Pictures taken by : Chipiliro Khonje
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Stories from Malawi

Grace

Grace* is a 13 year-old girl from Blantyre district. She has four sisters and two brothers. The children were orphaned in 2008. After Grace and her younger sister were taken in by a family member, she was sexually assaulted by an adult cousin. Fearing that she would be blamed for the abuse, and worried what would happen to her younger sister if they were made to leave, Grace never spoke out. Finally, she was forced to reveal her secret after she became pregnant.

Grace was cast out of the home for bringing shame upon her family. With nowhere else to go Grace and her sister walked to the closest town, where her situation was discovered by the District Social Welfare office and referred to Concern Worldwide for support.

These agencies linked her with district support services; she and her sister were provided with food and care From the District Health Office until Grace delivered her baby. After several consultations between the social welfare office, Concern Worldwide, and a local organization supporting orphans and vulnerable children, the local CBO agreed to take on responsibility of caring for Grace, her baby, and her sister.

Social welfare guidelines call for placing her in the home of a relative, despite the risk Grace and her sister would face. At the moment, Grace’s situation is still uncertain. Her future is still unresolved. Her dreams are still waiting for better days.

  • This case study was prepared as part of the Gallery Exhibition to commemorate the visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland, His Excellency Michael D Higgins to Malawi in November 2014, and later to coincide with the launch of the 16 Days of Activism against GBV on November the 25th, 2014.
  • Pictures taken by : Chipiliro Khonje
  • Names and locations changed to protect identity
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