Child star Mireilla Nkhoma now mother of three

Mireilla Nkhoma shot to fame as a child star with Aleluya Band of Balaka in 2000. She successfully registered her name among the few talented female musicians and dancers.

At the peak of her music career, the girl behind Nthawi Zina Mmayamba ndinu Makolo faced a lot of criticism for performing late at night with her suggestive moves that some activists feared would be detrimental to her upbringing.

Thirteen years later, Mireilla is grown up. Now 18, she is a mother of three who is trying to earn a living from tailoring.

Her children are Leticia and twins Olimorgan and Oliviria but she says will soon wed the father of the children.

Her critics campaigned for her to quit music until she completed her education, a decision she seems to be bitter with for “nipping her career in the bud”.

“They had their own agenda, which I believe they fulfilled. I am saying this because none of those child rights activists returned to provide me with financial or moral support.

“They all went into oblivion after successfully dumping me into inexplicable destitution. There were people who used to give me support when I was still performing, but stopped on the assumption that the activists would take over,” says Mireilla.

The young mother says she has been idle since her aborted singing career until late last year when a local organisation—Balaka Youth Arise Programme (Bayap)—gave her scholarship to train in tailoring at Prison Fellowship Malawi in Balaka.

She finished her course and is now on attachment at Grazia’s Tailoring and Knitting Wear Shop at the Andiamo Campus in the district.

Mireilla is hopeful that she will someday sing again and return to the stage

“What kept me away from music is family. I am a family woman now and the motherly role has been the major contributor to my silence. I wanted to provide maximum care and love to my children to ensure they grow healthy,” she says.

She adds that activists who stopped her from performing assumed she was attending school when she was not.

“But like I said, I hold no grudge against anyone for my misfortunes. I would like to be independent and use proceeds from this [tailoring] occupation to educate my children,” she says.