LocationsFrom fear to dignity: Reclaiming rights and rebuilding lives in Malawi
July 14, 2026
Molesi Fadwell Msashi (third from left) stands with fellow members of her Village Savings and Loan group. Through the group, she has been able to save, support her family and strengthen her path towards greater economic independence.
In Chithamuthumba Village in Mzimba District, northern Malawi, Molesi Msashi is rebuilding a life once defined by violence, neglect and fear.
For 25 years, she lived in a marriage where even basic household needs such as soap, salt and food were not always assured. When she asked for support, she says she was dismissed. When her husband returned home after drinking, the situation often became more dangerous.
“One day, he beat me and broke my arm,” Molesi recalls. “I was coming back from fetching water, and he was returning from drinking. We met at the door. I approached him happily, but he started beating me.”
That attack became a turning point. After years of abuse, Molesi reported the matter to the police. Although there were discussions about whether she should return to the marriage, she refused. For her, the choice had become clear: it was better to face hardship alone than to remain in danger.
“I could not continue living that way,” she says. “I realised it was better to struggle on my own.”
Choosing safety over silence
Molesi left the marriage in 2013. By then, she had three children and few resources. Survival required courage and improvisation. She was brewing beer and selling it to raise money for food, clothing and fertiliser, but life remained difficult and uncertain.
Her path began to change through the Strengthening Human Rights for Vulnerable Populations Project, funded by the governments of Iceland and Norway and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Malawi with partners.
Through the project, Molesi received support that connected human rights awareness with practical skills for everyday survival. She learned about farming, resource management, food security, financial management and small business.
These lessons helped her start making and selling mandasi, a popular local fried dough snack.
“When I sell mandasi, I am able to support my children,” she says. “I also save money in the Village Bank. I can now afford basic needs such as soap, which was not easy before.”
For Molesi, economic independence has become part of her healing. It has given her not only income, but also dignity, confidence and a stronger voice in shaping her future.
Molesi Fadwell Msashi stands with renewed confidence as she rebuilds her life through farming, small business and Village Savings and Loan activities, creating a more secure future for herself and her children.
A system that survivors can turn to
Molesi’s story reflects the reality faced by many women and children in communities where abuse is often hidden behind family walls.
For Anderson Banda, a Social Welfare Advisor and Child Protection Worker in Traditional Authority Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba, such cases are part of the daily work of protecting vulnerable people.
“At the Social Welfare Office, we handle many different types of cases,” Anderson says. “These include child marriage, physical abuse against women, economic abuse, family disputes, child neglect, and cases where parents are not providing for their children’s needs.”
Social welfare officers provide counselling, psychosocial support and referrals to the police, courts, chiefs and health services. They also help survivors access police reports and medical referrals where needed.
This support is critical because many survivors do not know where to go, whom to trust or how to begin the process of seeking help.
Anderson Banda, a Social Welfare Advisor and Child Protection Worker, supports survivors of gender-based violence through counselling, psychosocial assistance and referrals to essential services.
Health services as a lifeline
At Lunzika Health Centre in the same district, health workers are also part of the community response system.
Ed Gwambini, a hospital attendant and HIV Testing and Counseling (HTC) counsellor, says the facility receives Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases, including physical assault, sexual assault and child marriage.
“If someone has been physically assaulted, we treat their wounds and injuries,” Ed says. “We also provide counselling so that the survivor receives emotional support. Where the case is serious, we refer it to the police for investigation.”
For survivors of sexual assault, timely reporting can be life-saving. It enables health workers to provide emergency contraception, post-exposure prophylaxis to help prevent HIV infection, and medication for sexually transmitted infections.
But many cases remain hidden. Shame, family pressure and fear of damaging a family’s reputation often prevent survivors from speaking out.
“There is still a culture of silence, and that is what we are trying to break,” he says.
Breaking what communities once accepted as normal
The project is helping communities challenge the silence that has allowed abuse to continue unchecked. Through awareness sessions, counselling and community engagement conducted by the Malawi Human Rights Resource Center, people are learning that physical, emotional, psychological and economic abuse should not be accepted as normal or treated as private family matters. They are violations of human rights that must be recognized, discussed and addressed.
According to Giyezeni Sibande the Group Village Headman for Enyanyuweni village, the project has helped communities name and understand forms of abuse that were previously normalised.
“Many people did not realize that certain behaviours were forms of violence, including emotional, physical, and financial abuse,” Giyezeni says. “Since the training, we have seen a significant reduction in these cases. People are now more aware of their rights and responsibilities than they were before.”
Community leaders have played an important role in making this message acceptable and accessible. Chiefs are part of local committees, and help to mobilise people to attend awareness sessions and encourage families to seek support before violence escalates.
“The chiefs and other leaders support the work very much,” Giyezeni says. “They are part of the committees and help us mobilize community members. They also see the benefits because there are now fewer disputes for them to resolve.”
When chiefs, counsellors, social welfare officers, health workers and police work together, survivors are more likely to receive protection, care and justice.
Group Village Headman Giyezenu Sibande of Enyanyuweni stands as a community leader supporting efforts to raise awareness, prevent gender-based violence and encourage people to seek help when their rights are violated.
Small savings, big changes
For Molesi, community support has been matched by economic empowerment.
She now participates in a Village Savings and Loan (VSL) group, where members save together, borrow, repay and share interest. These savings groups help families move from informal, uncertain savings to a more organised system that supports farming, household needs, education and small businesses.
The project’s role was not only to encourage people to save. It also helped revive Village Banks that were struggling because of poor management. Through training, Village Bank members and leaders learned how to manage the groups better, keep them functioning, and use them as reliable spaces for saving, borrowing and investing. The project also provided business management training, helping members turn small savings into practical income-generating activities.
For many women, Village Banks have become a path to greater independence. They provide access to capital, build confidence and enable women to contribute more meaningfully to household decisions.
Giyezeni says the impact is being felt within families. In the past, he says, men often controlled household money, creating conflict and dependency. Today, women with savings can support household needs, buy farm inputs, start businesses and reduce financial pressure at home.
For Molesi, the change is deeply personal. In the past, even finding money to purchase basic amenities such as soap or salt was difficult. Today, through mandasi sales, farming and Village Bank savings, she can support her children and plan ahead, including for the farming season.
“There is a big difference,” she says. “My life is much better now.”
She now shares what she has learned with other women, encouraging them to take up lessons on financial management, food security and home management.
“I tell my friends that I attended this programme and saw a change,” she says. “If they try the same things, their lives can also improve.”
Reaching more people with rights awareness
Anderson says awareness is already contributing to change. Before the project, he says, GBV cases were very high. Through village meetings, chiefs, women’s groups and survivor support, more people now understand their rights and know where to seek help.
But the need remains great.
“Mzimba is a very large area,” Anderson says. “Because of its geography and size, we have not been able to reach everyone. We hope to reach more people in the future so that more communities can understand their rights and know where to get help.”
For Ed, protecting survivors requires a system that responds quickly, preserves dignity and encourages reporting.
“My final message is that everyone should join hands, including parents, chiefs, the police and health workers,” he says. “When a survivor is assisted properly, they are more likely to tell others that help is available.”
When speaking out meets a system that listens
Molesi’s decision to report the abuse came after years of silence, violence and neglect. Her story shows that survivors need more than courage. They need institutions and community structures that can receive them safely, guide them through the process and support them as they rebuild their lives.
Ms. Habiba Osman, Executive Secretary of the Malawi Human Rights Commission, explains that many human rights violations remain hidden because victims fear retaliation, stigma or discrimination, while others may not know where to seek help. She notes that trusted institutions provide an independent and safe avenue for people to raise concerns and seek redress.
“When citizens know that their complaints will be handled professionally, confidentially and impartially, they are more likely to come forward.”
Chrispin Chimwemwe Ngunde, Chief Executive Officer of the Malawi Law Society, also highlights the importance of an efficient justice system in restoring dignity. He emphasises that stronger justice institutions can help women, children, survivors of gender-based violence and marginalised groups access protection and remedies more easily.
A future no longer defined by fear
Molesi’s story is a reminder that human rights work is not abstract. It can mean the courage to report abuse. It can mean access to counselling, medical care and social welfare support. It can mean a Village Bank where small savings become the beginning of independence.
Today, Molesi’s life tells a different story.
She can provide for her children. She participates in savings groups. She shares her experience with other women, encouraging them to seek support, learn new skills and take control of their futures.
Her journey reflects the broader impact of UNDP’s support: survivors gaining economic independence, communities actively challenging harmful norms, and stronger local systems responding to gender-based violence.
What began as a decision to leave violence behind has become a pathway to dignity, resilience and hope.
For Molesi and many others, the future is no longer defined by fear, but by possibilities.
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