From Child Bride to Police Constable: Clara’s Mission to End Child Marriages in Malawi

By Trinity Kubalasa,

Communications and External Engagement Manager, World Vision Malawi.

Once married at 15, Clara Manyonga has been leading efforts to fight child marriages and teen pregnancies in Likasi Community in the area of Traditional Authority Mavwere in Mchinji. 

A mentor of teen mothers, Manyonga has also been a member of a Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) from her area, advocating for improved service delivery by engaging community members as well as duty bearers.

But Clara’s zeal for driving the agenda for change in her community got extra energy when in 2022 World Vision Malawi supported her trip to Morocco for a global caucus on community advocacy towards governance and development.

“While in Morocco, I learnt that as youths, we have a vital role to play to ensure that we bring the much needed change in our midst. Our duty bearers must be taken to task to ensure that all set minimum standards are met in all public services to ensure safe and efficient public service delivery systems in our communities, and this includes ensuring that young girls are not brides” she says.

Clara got married at a tender age and became a teen mother. But looking at the challenges she faced, she has have been championing efforts to motivate fellow teenagers to go back to school even after giving birth at a tender age.

" I am also leading efforts toward educating them on the need to be self-reliant through girls, boys and women empowerment sessions in the communities,” she adds.

Today, Manyonga is not only a teen mother mentor, but also a role model as she has successfully secured her dream job after going back to school to write her Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE).

In 2023, she got a training opportunity for the post of police constable where she had to undergo the training for 10 months.

Ruth Harry, a 19 year old former child parliamentarian and Registered child from Likasi AP where Clara comes from, applauds Clara for the work she has done for her community, citing that every time she heard about Clara she was inspired to work hard in class.

Ruth, is in her first year at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences studying Bachelor of Sciences in Adult Health Nursing.

"Clara made me realize that if I put my mind to what I want to be in life,  I will accomplish it. My whole life I wanted to go to a public University to study any nursing related course. I worked hard and here I am.   I would liked to give back to my community when I finish my studies and inspire even more girls in Likasi AP".  Narrates, Ruth.

 Today, 22 year old Clara is a Police constable now working with Mchinji Police station, a district that raised her. She attributes her achievement to the spaces that World Vision created for young girls like her in her community.

“World Vision Malawi has led massive efforts to end child marriages in my community. It is because of World Vision that I was pulled out of my marriage and enrolled back in school. I am so proud and indebted to World Vision for the support they gave me,” she says.

Staying with her siblings, she is also a role model among her relations. 13 year old Beatrice is Manyonga’s niece. In grade four, Beatrice works harder to achieve her dream of becoming a medical doctor.

“I am happy because my auntie Clara is a powerful role model because we all have seen where she is coming from in our family. Witnessing her work as a police officer is a great evidence that a girl child is an achiever if given an opportunity,” says Beatrice.

Clara Manyonga contemplates furthering her studies to a degree level so she can easily advance career through the ranks of Malawi Police Service.