Dolica Nyirenda is a mother of 5 children who hails from Mangwere Pundi in (SGVH) Inkosana Mwamba jere in Traditional authority Mpherembe in the district. Out the five children, three are girls and two boys. The two girls Lydia and Getrude are married to men of a chewa culture which states that ownership of family land is invested in the girl child and that the man will own land where he will marry. In an opposite scenario, Getrude and Lydia’s culture states that ownership of land is invested in a male child and that the female child will get land from her marital home.
The household of Lydia and Getrude does not have land which they can use to earn their livelihoods as both cultures do not give them space to own land. This forced them to start renting a piece of land where they can grow and leave and the did not have a settled home.
After receiving the training and subsequent awareness on women’s land rights and realising that they have a responsibility to support her daughters, they reflected on it together with the husband and decided to give them land
“I looked at the suffering of my girls who have been wandering from one rented land to the other with no proper settlement for my grandchildren and I persuaded my husband to offer them a piece of land” said Nyirenda.
“The advocacy on land rights by Ungweru Organisation gave me a starting point to engage my husband” continued Nyirenda
Lydia and Getrude and their husbands are now living happily at the piece of land that was given to them. Dolica and her husband gave them 1 hectare of land to each of their daughters who have grown maize, ground nuts and soya on the land. It is evident that this year, they will have a harvest that will support the family going forward.