Veronica Chimombo
Having people that are a 100 years old and above in our communities is a blessing considering that life expectancy in Malawi is around 40. These people are rare to find, that’s why their lives makes an interesting reading just as Veronica Chimombo’s. Looking strong and talking energetically, this 101 year-old-woman talks to our correspondence, EMMANUEL JAILOS.
Tell us about yourself.
I am Veronica Chimombo from the royal family of the Traditional Authority (T/A) Chimombo in Nsanje. I was born in 1912. My parents were Kaposi and Fatima Miti from Dinde, Nsanje. I did my primary school at Rulwe Mission School but dropped out in Standard Six. But you cannot compare it with today’s Standard Six. I have two sisters. One is in Zimbabwe and the other one is here with us. I am blind and my parents told me I lost my sight in my early childhood.
How would you describe your growing up?
My life has not been all that active due to the status of my sight. However, I miss things such as taking baths in our rivers, taking part in traditional dances like Utse, Likhuba and Ulimba. We would gather at fireplaces in the evening to recite folktales.
What dreams did you have while growing up?
I wanted to be a teacher because that was the only profession we knew about in those days. And I was so happy when Bara (a white missionary) asked my father if he could let me attend a school for the blind although I was already too old for school by then. In the past, one started school in Sub A, BA and then Sub B before starting standard One. Then the story changed when the first president Kamuzu Banda came.
What happened?
Our school was being run and fully funded by the whites and when they had some misunderstanding with government, they closed the school. This was a boarding school. I spent more than 10 years there. I can read the Bible (she says it while asking one of her grandchildren to go and collect her Bible) or any book in Chichewa. However, I cannot write properly because we did not have enough time to practise due to lack of the braille machines.
How were you earning a living then?
It is extremely hard to make ends meet in the village, especially when you are blind. Luckily, my daughter was employed as a housemaid by a certain social welfare officer from the boma. Her boss enrolled me for a training in sewing and weaving. I made baby boots, sweaters, jerseys etc. That’s how I made my living. Of course, our relations supported us too.
Are you married or have you been married before?
I was married to Wilfred Kampira. He was from Masenjere in the area of T/A Mlolo in the district and was also blind. He passed away several years ago but I cannot remember when. We had already separated; not because we quarrelled, but because of old age. We agreed that we should be supported by his or her own relations.
How did you meet your husband?
He came to see a schoolmate in our village. Then he asked the friend if he could help him identify a prospective wife for him. The friend recommended me and his parents came to meet my parents and arranged the marriage. We did not have the type of wedding we hear about these days. What was important was that the union should have the blessings of parents from both sides. Then there could sometimes be a wedding celebration, but it was normally taking place only after you are considered a fully-fledged couple–that is after a number of years in marriage. People would do the pelekani-pelekani, and then the couple receives advanced marriage counsel.
How do you differentiate modern dating from your time?
During our time, every girl’s behaviour was monitored closely by the whole community. One could get information about a boy or a girl just by asking any elderly person in the village and they told you the truth. Normally, a man would go for beauty, good character and hard work in a woman, where as a woman would go for a hard working man. Then the man would send a message to the girl that he would visit her on one evening. It is on this evening that the man proposed marriage. If she accepted, she got a small amount of money from the man to show to her parents that she had accepted a man. What would follow is parents of the two lovebirds, with other relatives meeting and celebrating. People would wine and dine. It was on this day that a dowry is paid and they would agree a day in which the husband would come and take his wife to his house. There was no need for dating. What people would tell you about your would-be man or woman was enough for you to marry or not marry them.
What comes first in your mind when you hear gender equality?
It sounds good when experts talk about it. But practically, gender equality explains why we have more unstable marriages, divorces and infidelity today than before.
Does that mean you do not advocate for it?
I do not. Not because of the concept per se, but because of the resultant disgrace women are subjecting their men to. In fact, even the Bible does not advocate for gender equality. Even in Islam, they do not. So, unless you do not believe in God, you treat your husband as an equal.
What do you think is the position of men and women in marriage?
I believe each of them have their own gender roles. But the stronger is expected to assist the weak and move on. In this case, since the Bible says women are weak, men are supposed to support women so that they realise their dreams too without having to fight to be equal to men.
What would you want both young and old women to learn from you?
That hard work is important for every successful woman. Yes, I might have failed in life, but I believe if I was able-bodied or if my education was not disturbed, I would have defied the odds to be a very successful blind person. I would want to urge girls to abstain from fornication. As for married women, your success whether in education, business or whatever career path you have taken, is not a replacement for a husband.
What do you like doing in your free time?
I like reading the Bible.
What is your favourite food?
Nsima with Makakana (fish similar to Chambo in the Lower Shire).
