{"id":15236,"date":"2016-04-11T05:23:14","date_gmt":"2016-04-11T05:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/?p=15236"},"modified":"2016-04-11T15:43:52","modified_gmt":"2016-04-11T15:43:52","slug":"malawi-chief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/malawi-chief","title":{"rendered":"Meet The Malawi Chief Who Broke Up Hundreds Of Child Marriages And Took The Kids Back To School"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"a6b39195b99473d6c9dd698db2668010\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:2px 0 2px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<center>\r\n\r\n<script type='text\/javascript'>\r\nfunction ShorterThan(widthMax) {\r\n                if (screen.width < widthMax) {return true;}  \r\n                else {return false}\r\n    }\r\nvar LimitWidth = 728\r\nvar MobileZoneID = 348996\r\nvar DesktopZoneID = 348995   \r\n<!--\/\/<![CDATA[\r\n   document.MAX_ct0 ='';\r\n   var m3_u = (location.protocol=='https:'?'https:\/\/cas.criteo.com\/delivery\/ajs.php?':'https:\/\/cas.criteo.com\/delivery\/ajs.php?');\r\n   var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999);\r\n   document.write (\"<scr\"+\"ipt type='text\/javascript' src='\"+m3_u);\r\n   if (ShorterThan(LimitWidth)) {document.write (\"zoneid=\"+MobileZoneID);} else {document.write (\"zoneid=\"+DesktopZoneID);}\r\n   document.write(\"&nodis=1\");\r\n   document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r);\r\n   if (document.MAX_used != ',') document.write (\"&exclude=\" + document.MAX_used);\r\n   document.write (document.charset ? '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? '&charset='+document.characterSet : ''));\r\n   document.write (\"&loc=\" + escape(window.location));\r\n   if (document.referrer) document.write (\"&referer=\" + escape(document.referrer));\r\n   if (document.context) document.write (\"&context=\" + escape(document.context));\r\n   if ((typeof(document.MAX_ct0) != 'undefined') && (document.MAX_ct0.substring(0,4) == 'http')) {\r\n       document.write (\"&ct0=\" + escape(document.MAX_ct0));\r\n   }\r\n   if (document.mmm_fo) document.write (\"&mmm_fo=1\");\r\n   document.write (\"'><\/scr\"+\"ipt>\");\r\n\/\/]]>--><\/script>\r\n<\/center>\n<\/div>\n<p>Theresa Kachindamoto is a senior chief in the Dedza district of central Malawi. She has become famous for fighting against child marriage in her jurisdiction. In 2015 alone, she dissolved 330 customary marriages \u2013 setting free 175 girls and 155 boys. Over the past three years, she has terminated a total of 850 underage marriages. She is also helping send the children back to school so that they can have a normal and healthy childhood.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>An unexpected nomination<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Since she is a woman, mother, and the youngest of 12 siblings, Kachindamoto never expected to become chief. She had been working as a secretary in a city college in Zomba for 27 years when the chiefs called her. They informed her that she was now a senior chief to the more than 900,000 people. The chiefs chose Kachindamoto because of her great people skills.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15237\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15237\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15237\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/chief-theresa-va-1536x864-805x450.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"700\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/chief-theresa-va-1536x864-805x450.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/chief-theresa-va-1536x864-805x450-600x335.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/chief-theresa-va-1536x864-805x450-85x47.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15237\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hitandrun.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Chief-Theresa-VA-1536x864-805x450.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Shocking numbers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>When Kachindamoto arrived in the Dedza district, she was shocked at the how many child marriages she saw. Malawi\u2019s laws made marriage under 18 illegal but many villages follow traditions over law. Kachindamoto was even more surprised when she discovered that about 75% of the child marriages were done with the consent of chiefs and parents. She suspended the chiefs that had approved the child marriages\u00a0until they agreed to annul them in their villages.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t want youthful marriages,\u201d she said. \u201cThey must go to school\u2026 no child should be found loitering at home or doing household chores during school time.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15238\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15238\" style=\"width: 703px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-15238\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/8048704946_9638c9e39c_k-605x403.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"703\" height=\"468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/8048704946_9638c9e39c_k-605x403.jpg 605w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/8048704946_9638c9e39c_k-605x403-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/8048704946_9638c9e39c_k-605x403-85x57.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 703px) 100vw, 703px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15238\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/feminist.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/8048704946_9638c9e39c_k-605x403.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>More than half of young women are affected this practice<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unfpa.org\/sites\/default\/files\/pub-pdf\/MarryingTooYoung.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">A 2012 report published by the United Nations Population Fund<\/a> found that in Malawi, nearly half of young women aged 20-24 are married by the time they reach 18. The data showed that both boys and girls are affected, but the practice of child marriage mainly impacts girls.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cIt is often referred to as \u2018early and forced\u2019 marriage because the girls, given their young age, can rarely make a free and informed decision about their marriage partner, the timing or the implications of this binding commitment,\u201d the report states. \u00a0\u201cAn element of coercion may be involved because their families may pressure or force the girls into marriage. Strong social and cultural norms also drive the practice despite legislation in place.\u201d \u00a0The report called for urgent action to be taken against child marriage. \u201cIf present trends continue, 631,000 of the young girls born between 2005\u20132010 will be married\/in union before age 18 by 2030,\u201d it warned.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15239\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15239\" style=\"width: 700px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-15239\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/cuq4gapweaarf94.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"700\" height=\"385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/cuq4gapweaarf94.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/cuq4gapweaarf94-600x330.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/cuq4gapweaarf94-85x47.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15239\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gaiadergi.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/malawi7.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Facing backlash from the community<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Kachindamoto ordered all child marriages to be annulled.<i>\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u00a0\u201cI told them: &#8216;Whether you like it or not, I want these marriages to be terminated,\u2019\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>She faced resistance from parents and chiefs who told her that she had no right to overturn tradition. She even received some death threats, but she did not yield.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cFirst of all it was difficult, but now people are understanding.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>After she terminated the marriages, she either paid from her own funds or found sponsors to send the children back to school. She has a secret network of parents throughout the villages that report to her so that she can make sure the girls are staying in school.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>\u201cI talk to the parents. I tell them: if you educate your girls you will have everything in the future.\u201d \u00a0<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"attachment_15240\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-15240\" style=\"width: 709px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-15240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/99911582-9e56-4acd-a205-7f35998ddb1c.jpg\" alt=\"source\" width=\"709\" height=\"443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/99911582-9e56-4acd-a205-7f35998ddb1c.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/99911582-9e56-4acd-a205-7f35998ddb1c-600x375.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/04\/99911582-9e56-4acd-a205-7f35998ddb1c-85x53.jpg 85w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-15240\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-8SiPU0BIdTg\/VwPKyuCx8eI\/AAAAAAAFgT0\/e5zEa4eaDzc24B1mSlD9rEdTYZJCA3ekQ\/w640-h400-p-k\/99911582-9e56-4acd-a205-7f35998ddb1c\" target=\"_blank\">source<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/child-marriage\">SEE ALSO:\u00a0Zimbabwe\u2019s Highest Court Outlaws Child Marriage.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<!--CusAds0-->\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Theresa Kachindamoto is a senior chief in the Dedza district of central Malawi. She has<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":15237,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Meet The Malawi Chief Who Broke Up Hundreds Of Child Marriages And Took The Kids Back To School<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Theresa Kachindamoto is a senior chief in the Dedza district of central Malawi.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afrizap.com\/en\/malawi-chief\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet The Malawi Chief Who Broke Up Hundreds Of Child Marriages And Took The Kids Back To 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