In the quiet village of Kumfunda, Inkosi Kachere’s area in Dedza, a young girl named Elizabeth Jones Chisale defied societal norms to chase an education that seemed out of reach.
Her father had deemed her Standard Five education sufficient for a girl, intending to divert resources to educate her brothers.
However, Chisale, the eldest of eight siblings, would not accept such a fate.
“I told my father, ‘If you won’t pay, I will.’ I wanted to learn,” she recalls, her voice firm even now at 84.
With nothing but her determination, Chisale began moulding and selling bricks to local missionaries to raise her school fees.
“I wasn’t just moulding bricks, I was building my future,” she says with pride.
This bold move paved her way to Stella Maris Secondary School in Blantyre, where she excelled academically under the guidance of Catholic missionaries.
She later trained at Nkhoma Teachers College in the 1960s, becoming one of Dedza’s first female teachers and setting a trailblazing example for girls across Malawi.
It was during her teaching journey that she married Aonenji Phumisa, her fellow educationist.
Their shared passion for learning saw them traverse the country, teaching in seven districts: Dedza, Mzimba, Ntcheu, Lilongwe, Zomba, Chiradzulu and Blantyre.
“We were always on the move, but each new district was a chance to learn and grow. I saw the richness of Malawi’s cultures and the resilience of its people,” she recalls.
Over six decades, Elizabeth taught through Malawi’s independence, one-party rule and the dawn of multiparty democracy.
Her chalkboard bore witness to history, as she taught under five presidents. From founding president Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s era of self-rule to Bakili Muluzi’s democratic wave and beyond, her lessons shaped students who would become leaders in a rapidly changing nation.
“I loved teaching,” she says, her face lighting up. “Each student was a seed. You never knew who would blossom into a teacher, a doctor, or even a leader.”
Among her students are now teachers, doctors, lawyers, journalists and prominent politicians.
“One of my students became a teacher and taught my son in secondary school,” she marvels. “That was one of the proudest moments of my life—a full circle.”
Elizabeth’s impact extends far beyond Malawi’s borders.
Rhodrick Junaid Kalumpha, a finance manager based in England, is one of her many success stories she once taught at Domasi Government Primary School in Zomba, one the of the country’s oldest learning institutions.
“I am doing fine in my career. She did a good job,” he says. “The teacher helped shape my future.”
However, her journey was not without hardship.
In 1999, Chisale’s husband tragically died in a motor accident.
Left to raise her family alone, she continued to teach while caring for her children.
“I told myself, ‘I have to be strong—for my family and my students,’” she says.
Chisale officially retired in the late 1990s, but her legacy was so profound that the Ministry of Education kept her teaching on a contract basis for years.
After teaching under five presidents and influencing generations, she finally put down her chalk, marking the end of an extraordinary career.
Now 84, Chisale resides in Manja, Blantyre, surrounded by her children and 20 grandchildren.
But one thing still weighs on her heart.
“None of my grandchildren have chosen to become teachers,” she laments. “Teaching is the noblest profession. You shape minds, futures and nations. I wish they could see that.”
Her father, once dismissive of her educational pursuits, eventually admitted his mistake.
“He told me, ‘You taught me a lesson I’ll never forget educating a girl changes everything.’ Those words meant everything to me,” she recounts, her eyes glistening with emotion.
As Chisale reflects on her extraordinary life, she remains as humble as ever. “I didn’t set out to be extraordinary. I just wanted to go to school,” she says softly. “But if my story has inspired others to dream bigger and fight harder, then I have done my part.”
