There was jubilations at Inkosi Kachindamoto’s headquarters in Dedza district Sunday as Minister of Gender, Community Development and social welfare, Jean Sendeza led hundreds of Malawians in celebrating the awarding of 2 Honorary doctorate degrees to Inkosi Kachindamoto by 2 Belgian based universities.
The two Universities, Catholic University in Belgium and Universite Catholique de Louvain have awarded Inkosi Kachindamoto Honorary doctorate degrees for her exceptional work in championing women’s and children’s rights in her area.
The Traditional Leader has gained recognition in recent years for withdrawing hundreds of girls from early marriages.
Speaking at the function, Sendeza described child marriages as a huge problem in the country, urging other traditional leaders to emulate Inkosi Kachindamoto’s zeal to fight the vice.
Speaking on behalf of Inkosi Kachindamoto, Chairperson of Kachindamoto trust Brigadier George Liwimbi retired said they thought of organizing the function to thank the chief for what she has been doing in her area.
Liwimbi said from now onwards, the chief will now be addressed as Inkosi DR Kachindamoto.
Speaking briefly to ProjectM, Inkosi DR Kachindamoto said she developed passion for the fight against the vice after noticing a growing number of girls who were dropping out of school due to push and pull factors such as poverty and teenage pregnancies.
“I do not do this work for recognition or financial gain but passion,” Inkosi DR Kachindamoto said briefly.
The traditional leader has singlehandedly withdrawn 2,449 children from early marriages in her home district, Dedza.
Out of the above mentioned figure, 2,323 are girls while 126 are boys.
Child rights campaigner Memory Chisenga has since said that history shall always remember Inkosi DR Kachindamoto as a woman who fought so hard to end the scourge of child marriages in her area, ultimately immortalizing her works.
