Ever heard of Theresa Kachindamoto? Well, remember well that name because this woman undeniably fits into the category of modern-day superheroes.
Besides being one of the world’s least-developed countries, Malawi, a landlocked country in southeast Africa, also has the highest child-marriage rates globally. While many are turning a blind eye to this grave problem, Theresa Kachindamoto has taken up a critical stance on this practice after becoming the female chief of Malawi.
After spending 27 years working as a secretary at a city college in another district in Malawi, the youngest of 12, Kachindamoto, didn’t expect to become Malawi’s female chief. But, thanks to her reputation for being “good with people,” Kachindamoto was chosen as the next senior chief.
Although there was a law that banned marriage before the age of 18 in Malawi, children in this country could still marry due to parental consent.
Seeing girls as young as 12 walking around with their teenaged husbands and babies was not something that Kachindamoto could be indifferent to. She disapproved of this practice so much that as soon as she rose to power, she put an end to it. She annulled 850 child marriages. She said: “I told them: ‘Whether you like it or not, I want these marriages to be terminated.’”
How determined she was to end child marriages completely can be seen in the fact that she even fired 4 chiefs that refused to ban this practice.
Kachindamoto also took up a hard stance against “kusasa fumbi” – a sexually abusive tradition which includes sending young girls to camps where they’re trained to perform sex acts and taught how to please their future husbands.
And that’s not all – Kachindamoto sent many girls back to school and even helped financially the families who couldn’t afford to send their children to school. She said: “I don’t want youthful marriages. They must go to school… no child should be found loitering at home or doing household chores during school time.”
The firm attitude and effective measures of this mild-mannered woman have undoubtedly made her an essential ally in the fight for children’s and women’s rights.
Therefore, I believe we can all agree that she truly is a modern-day superhero and an inspirational person.
Riley Cooper is a professional writer who writes informative and creative articles on topics related to various fields of study. Written with love and enthusiasm, her articles inspire readers to broaden their knowledge of the world, think and get ready to act. If you have a general question or comment please fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible https://curiousmindmagazine.com/contact-us/
