On May 24th, 2024, the Lessons Conversation team, in collaboration with the Family Planning News Network and the Ntha Foundation, travelled to Ntakataka Village in central Malawi to sit with a woman whose voice has changed the future of thousands of girls.
Chief Theresa Kachindamoto — known across the continent as “the marriage terminator” — welcomed us into her community, not to perform, but to speak. In a new Community Voices segment, we hear directly from the Chief as she reflects on her journey: the girls she has rescued, the battles she has fought, and the legacy she continues to build.
A Chief Who Does More Than Speak
Since 2003, Chief Kachindamoto has been a singular force in Malawi’s social transformation. As of May, 2024, she, with the help of her subjects had annulled 2,449 child marriages, often going against long-held traditions and community expectations. But her approach has never been hostile — it is rooted in love, persistence, and the belief that girls deserve better.
“Ending the marriage is not enough. I check if she is in school. I ask the teacher. If she’s not in class, I go there myself.”
“I told them: not in my district. No girl will be married off while I am Chief.”
This kind of follow-through isn’t part of a program. It’s not in a manual. It’s the standard she has set as a leader who sees each girl not as a statistic, but as a story still unfolding.
“We need to show girls that someone is fighting for them — even when they feel forgotten.”
Chief Kachindamoto’s leadership is proof that tradition can evolve, and that power can protect, rather than harm. She is a living lesson. This conversation is a gift.
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