As the vehicle approaches the Social Welfare Offices, one cannot help but notice a small frail woman sitting in the sand with her legs covered in a small dirty blanket, beside her a black plastic bag with what seems to be her only belongings (a green plastic container and an empty 2 liters bottle). As you greet her, you can see her lightly shiver and the goosebumps on her skin give away that she is cold perhaps from seating under the shade of a large tree that sits just above her. Before she can respond to the greeting, the first thing she asks for is food and water as she chases away the flies landing on her face probably from not having a proper bath and change of clothes in a while. One cannot help but imagine the story behind the scene in front of us.
Because she speaks incoherent Sena language, the Social Welfare Officer translates the few things he can pick up to us and begins to narrate how this old woman got to be seating outside his offices.
Lecheta Bisenti, a woman who appears to be in her late 80s or early 90s hails from a village in Chikwawa. She recalls 1989 as the year when all her torment began. Prior to the year 1989, Lecheta had married and unfortunately was unable to bear any children (a thing usually frowned upon in Malawi). As part of the Sena culture, her younger sister was also wedded to her husband as the second wife so as to bear children in the family. The younger sister indeed gave birth to a number of children and unfortunately succumbed to Cholera, leaving behind a young breastfeeding child and other young children who were raised by Lecheta.
In 2016, the husband fell mentally ill, ran off and disappeared and on the same day, Lecheta left the home and went to stay at her brother’s house. This brought speculations that she was behind the disappearance of the husband and rumors spread like a whirlwind that she was practicing witchcraft. Whenever people would walk by the home of the brother, Thangata Abisenti (78 years of age) people would sneer and make comments which he claims led to the breakup of his 2 previous marriages. In fear of his current third marriage ending, he kicked Lecheta out. Just like the brother, Lecheta’s nephews whom she brought up are unwilling to open their homes to her.
She was kicked out in February earlier this year and left outside the District Commissioners office, who later left her at the Police station and was then left outside the Social Welfare Offices where she currently stays.
A meeting among chief Kalunga, leaders from Thangata Bisenti’s village, Lecheta’s nephews and the District Social Welfare Officer resulted in one of Lecheta’s nephews finally opening up his home to her. MANEPO further provided Lecheta with a package which included 2 blankets, 2 bags of flour (10kgs each), 2 bottles of cooking oil (2litres each), a bag of beans, a cup and plate and packets of sugar and salt.