Ezinta Mzoze lives in Mpopela in the Salima District. She is unsure when she was born. Ezinta is a farmer with 4 children, two girls and two boys. She never attended school.
Ezinta married her husband Grevinson in 1989 but immediately experienced problems. She says: “My husband preferred beer to me most of the time.” Rather than financially supporting his family, he spent all their money getting drunk. He was extremely violent, frequently beating Ezinta. In 2013 Grevinson was invited to take part in a program called ‘Let’s Change Together’ implemented in Salima District by Malawi Interfaith Aids Association with Trócaire support. The program trains men to conduct peer outreach education on gender and HIV; Grevinson is now a male motivator promoting the rights of women and girls in the surrounding areas.
Ezinta says “I’m proud of him. He’s changed completely. He has stopped beating me, he’s stopped drinking: We now grow our crops together, he gives me money to buy all the things I need for the house”
During her last pregnancy Grevinson accompanied her on all her pre natal visits and they found out their HIV status. They now both counsel and support others to live positively with HIV.
Eliza says “ I want to continue to walk side by side with my husband this makes me happy. I want more people to benefit from this intervention, many women live in hell as I did, but their lives can too change for the better.”
- 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.