DAKAR-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s Senior Chief Theresa Kachindamoto of Dedza continues scooping local and international accolades, with the latest one being awarded as the New Africa Woman in Civil Society award.
In a gala dinner held in Dakar, Senegal on Wednesday this week, Chief Kachindamoto, also known as child marriage terminator, earned the recognition for her effort in fighting early, child and forced marriages in her area and nation at large.
The development comes barely three months after the Maravi Post readers voted Kachindamoto as the 2016 Personality of the Year Award.
Sr. Chief Kachindamoto also recently won the coveted Vital Voices Leadership Award, which was present to her in the presence of Queen Rania al Abdullah of Jordan.
In a press release made available to The Maravi Post, the organisers of the award said the Ngoni chief, annulled over 300 child marriages in her village since her campaign against child marriage started in 2013.
The loud voices ringing in her campaign, joined other local and international voices and were critical in causing the Malawi government to enact laws banning child marriages in the country altogether, by stipulating that girls and boys can marry only after teaching age 18 years.
Apart from Kachindamoto, other awards went to Namibia’s Dr. Helena, Woman in Health, Science and Technology, a pioneering ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon, who has to date, performed over 35,000 sight-restoring surgeries on Namibians completely free of charge.
The awards are in the second year and aim to recognize, celebrate, and honor African women who make exceptional impacts, and changes in their countries or communities.