The Poverty paradox of child marriages
Tumalisye Budalla (not real name) from Traditional Authority Bwananyambi in Mangochi is just 14 years old and on meeting her, one would expect that the conversation will centre on issues of education, adolescence, and her life ambitions career-wise when she grows up. But Tumalisye will surprise you with her indifference to such futuristic talk. For her, she is already in living her future though not her ideal one. She is young by age yes, but in terms of responsibilities and life experiences, she is as old as any married woman can if not more. Her tender head resting on her young shoulders is working overtime to solve problems her peers have never heard of: She has to look after her sickly child’s needs as a single mother; push her weak body beyond limits to do piece works to earn her living; and work her brain overtime to survive the pouring ridicule she gets from the community. Just like many girls her age in Malawi and the sub-Sahara African region, Tumalisye was forced in