A 17-year-old girl, Talandira Banda, was born without both hands, but this did not stop her from excelling with school despite many challenges she faced as a girl with disability starting from primary school.
Banda, who is now in form 2 at Nkhotakota Secondary School, writes and engages in all her daily chores at the school using her legs.
She told ProjectM that the physical challenge she has neither did stop nor demotivated her career aspiration of becoming a medical doctor.
She added that she worked hard at primary school by writing school exercises as well as national examination using her hands, and this proved to work after being selected to Nkhotakota Secondary School.
“Being born without both hands and particularly for a girl child is a big challenge. The challenge, for instance, at primary school was mainly on association as other kids could not believe that a person with no hands can be their friend just like a normal person. But this did not stop me from working hard, and my parents also played a vital role in making sure that am given full support of what they could afford until I was selected here.” Said Banda.
Commenting on the issue, District Commissioner for the Malawi Girls Guide Association (MALGA) in Nkhotakota Beatrice Sipeya has encouraged girls to come up in open and utter their sufferings and aim high in life.
She said: “Many girls not only those who are physically challenged face different atrocities that have a negative impact on their education but opening up is the only key that can alert authorities in addressing such challenges instead of dropping out from school. Talandira is a good example of a hard worker.”
Head teacher for Nkhotakota Secondary School, MacGiven Chinyamula concurred with Sipeya by describing Talandira’s dedication at school as a proof that she has a stable and well sounded vision that she aims to achieve and he encouraged other girls to emulate the same.
The MALGA community visited Talandira and provided her with clothes, sanitary pads, and soap.
