By Mike Mataka:
In the heart of Ntcheu District, amid the vibrant dances, chants and traditions that marred the annual Umhlangano cultural festival, a historic moment unfolded on Saturday, September 6, 2025.
This is because World Vision Malawi, in collaboration with the Maseko Ngoni leadership under Inkosi Ya Makosi Gomani V, officially launched a Chinamwali Handbook—a cultural milestone that blends preservation of tradition with the urgent need to safeguard children’s rights.
The launch, which was graced by thousands of Ngoni descendants and cultural enthusiasts, marks the first time the revered Chinamwali initiation rite of the Ngoni has been documented, standardised and reformed with a child-centred approach.
World Vision Malawi National Director Francis Dube said the project arose from concerns about some dangers that are embedded in traditional initiation ceremonies.
“The launch is a product of many years of work on ending child marriages and violence against children. Some cultural practices within initiation ceremonies exposed children, especially girls, to risks such as child marriage. The initiation content often carried the harmful message that once a girl reached puberty, she was a woman ready for marriage and motherhood. We wanted to change that narrative,” Dube said.
Dube emphasized that the new curriculum deliberately reframes initiation to highlight aspects such as dignity, education and safety.
“Reaching puberty doesn’t mean a girl has become a woman. It doesn’t mean she should marry or indulge in sexual activities. Our aim is to remind the girl-child that she is still a child with the right to education and a bright future,” he said.
If World Vision provided the technical expertise, it was Inkosi Ya Makhosi Gomani V who became the torchbearer for reform. Since becoming an ambassador for ending child marriages in 2018, the king has consistently rallied his people around the need to protect children within cultural practices.
In his remarks at the launch, Gomani V was candid about the dual responsibility of safeguarding tradition while adapting it to modern realities.
“The launch of this book is very important and timely because it [the book] is a guideline on how best communities can be doing initiation ceremonies. The main aim is to sensitise our girls about hygiene, menstruation, taking care of themselves and growing into confident women and reliable citizens,” he said.
The king acknowledged that traditional practices had developed some problematic areas that left children vulnerable.
“Together with partners like World Vision, Yoneco Social Welfare Department and the Judiciary, we began formalising the ceremonies so that they benefit our children rather than harm them,” he added.
President Lazarus Chakwera’s presence at Umhlangano 2025 gave the event a powerful national dimension.
In his speech, he applauded the Maseko Ngoni leadership for demonstrating how culture can evolve without losing its essence.
“I commend the Ngoni Maseko leadership for leading the way in ensuring that culture is not harming the future generation but rather preparing a safe path for it,” Chakwera said.
The Chinamwali Handbook is a detailed guide that standardises initiation practices among the Maseko Ngoni. It responds to concerns that the absence of documentation and wide variations in practice created opportunities for abuse, exploitation and misinterpretation.
Among the key reforms is the decision that initiation ceremonies should not exceed 10 days and that they must be conducted during school holidays to prevent disruption of education.
Only girls who have reached puberty may be initiated.
Health and hygiene form a central component of the curriculum. Girls are now taught menstrual hygiene management, including how to make and use reusable sanitary pads, alongside guidance on personal cleanliness and disease prevention.
Education is another pillar of the new content. Counsellors (anamkungwi), are required to emphasise the importance of schooling, with songs, speeches, and even gifts such as textbooks and school supplies deliberately integrated into the ceremonies to motivate girls to remain in class.
At the same time, initiates are educated about their rights, gender equality and protection from abuse.
Counsellors are strictly forbidden from using degrading or harmful practices such as beatings, public nudity or singing obscene songs that once characterised some versions of Chinamwali.
