In the village of Mukhwera, Mulanje, Blessings Chikopa has earned a reputation as a protector and advocate for justice. After facing his own challenges, particularly in navigating issues with his wife’s relatives over the 30 years they had stayed at his wife’s home area, Blessings found renewed purpose and courage through his exposure to the Tiyambe Project. The project’s focus on addressing gender-based violence and promoting gender equality sparked a great desire for action in him, inspiring him to support others in overcoming obstacles and reclaiming their rights.
Chikopa recalls several cases where community members sought his help after suffering abuse. One particularly striking case involved a hospital ward attendant who faced multiple abuses at home. Her husband had taken her motorbike, which she had bought with her own money. Leveraging Tiyambe’s messages on gender equality, Chikopa encouraged her to reach out to a local organization which helped her resolve the matter. Her husband ultimately apologized and respected her autonomy. “It was about standing up for her rights, showing that her hard work deserved respect,” Chikopa says.
From such experiences, his commitment grew stronger. In another case, a woman who had purchased a piece of land discovered that her husband had secretly taken the ownership documents and put the property in his name. With Chikopa’s guidance, she approached her chief in Phalombe. The chief’s intervention not only allowed her to reclaim ownership but also helped her restore a peaceful relationship with her husband. Today, she has built a home there, and the family enjoys a newfound stability. “She got her land back, and they found peace. It was a reminder that justice is possible without division.”
Children have also been at the heart of Chikopa’s advocacy, motivated by Tiyambe’s messages on protecting the vulnerable. One young girl, denied schooling by her uncle and forced into labor, came under his care. With his intervention, the uncle relented, and the girl returned to school. “Tiyambe taught me the value of education, especially for girls,” he reflects. “Every child deserves the chance to learn and grow.”
Yet his path hasn’t been without its challenges. According to Chikopa, in the Lhomwe tribe, there can be resistance to seeking outside help, and a reluctance to see one’s own hardships as a community concern. But through the Tiyambe Project, he learned that even a single voice can spark change, and he continues to encourage others to seek support, reminding them that strength is found in togetherness. “I feel like a church elder,” he says, reflecting on his unofficial role in the community. “The reward is not in money—it’s in knowing that you’ve helped someone reclaim their peace, their rights.”
Through Chikopa’s story, the impact of the Tiyambe Project comes to life, reaching beyond his experiences and empowering an entire community to recognize their worth, seek justice, and live without fear.
