ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Memory Banda - Activist
Memory Banda is a tireless leader for girls’ rights, in Malawi and around the world.

Why you should listen

Memory Banda is a tireless leader for girls' rights around the world. She is leading Malawi's fight to end child marriage through her work with Let Girls Lead and the Girl Empowerment Network of Malawi.

Only 18-years-old, Memory championed a succesful national campaign that culminated in landmark legislation that outlawed child marriage. Memory works with girl leaders to ensure that village chiefs ban child marriage, end sexual initiation practices, enable girls to finish school and live safe from violence in a country where more than half of girls are married as children.

Memory became an advocate for girls  after her younger sister was forced into marriage at the age of 11. She is now a college student in Malawi.

 

  

More profile about the speaker
Memory Banda | Speaker | TED.com
TEDWomen 2015

Memory Banda: A warrior’s cry against child marriage

Memory Banda: Kilio cha shujaa dhidi ya ndoa za utotoni

Filmed:
1,355,672 views

Maisha ya Memory Banda yalichukua njia ya tofauti na maisha ya dada yake. Dada yake alipovunja ungo, alipelekwa katika kambi ya awali ambayo inafundisha wasichana "jinsi ya kumridhisha mwanaume kimapenzi" Akapata uja uzito huko - akiwa na umri wa miaka 11. Lakini Banda akakataa kwenda. Badala yake , akaandaa wengine na akamuomba kiongozi wa jamii yake kupitisha sheria ndogo inayozuia wasichana kulazimishwa kuolewa kabla ya kufikisha miaka 18. Akaendeleza mapambano haya mpaka katika ngazi ya kitaifa ... akipata matokeo ya ajabu sana kwa wasichana wote , katika nchi yote ya Malawi.
- Activist
Memory Banda is a tireless leader for girls’ rights, in Malawi and around the world. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:13
I'll beginkuanza todayleo
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Nitaanza leo
00:14
by sharingkugawana a poemshairi
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kwa kuigawana shairi
00:16
writtenimeandikwa by my friendrafiki from MalawiMalawi,
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iliyoandikiwa na rafiki yangu mmalawi,
00:20
EileenEileen PiriPiri.
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Eileen Piri.
00:22
EileenEileen is only 13 yearsmiaka oldzamani,
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Eileen ana miaka 13 tu,
00:25
but when we were going throughkupitia
the collectionukusanyaji of poetrymashairi that we wrotealiandika,
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lakini tulipoangalia diwani ya ushairi tuliyoandika,
00:31
I foundkupatikana her poemshairi so interestingkuvutia,
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Niliona shairi yake ilinivuta sana,
00:34
so motivatingkuhamasisha.
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ilitia motisha sana.
00:36
So I'll readsoma it to you.
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Basi nitakusomeeni.
00:38
She entitledhaki her poemshairi
"I'll MarryKuoa When I Want."
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Ameiita shairi yake
"Nitaolewa ninapotaka"
00:42
(LaughterKicheko)
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(Kicheko)
00:45
"I'll marrykuoa when I want.
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"Nitaolewa ninapotaka.
00:47
My mothermama can't forcenguvu me to marrykuoa.
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Mama yangu hatonilazimisha kuolewa.
00:52
My fatherbaba cannothaiwezi forcenguvu me to marrykuoa.
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Baba yangu hatonilazimisha kuolewa.
00:57
My unclemjomba, my auntshangazi,
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Mjomba, Shangazi,
01:00
my brotherndugu or sisterdada,
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Kaka au dada,
01:02
cannothaiwezi forcenguvu me to marrykuoa.
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Hawawezi kunilazimisha.
01:05
No one in the worldulimwengu
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Hakuna mtu duniani
01:08
can forcenguvu me to marrykuoa.
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awezaye kunilazimisha kuolewa.
01:11
I'll marrykuoa when I want.
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Nitaolewa ninapotaka.
01:14
Even if you beatpiga me,
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Hata ukinipiga,
01:17
even if you chasebaada ya me away,
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hata ukinifukuza
01:19
even if you do anything badmbaya to me,
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hata ukinifanya vibaya,
01:22
I'll marrykuoa when I want.
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Nitaolewa ninapotaka.
01:26
I'll marrykuoa when I want,
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Nitaolewa ninapotaka,
01:29
but not before I am well educatedelimu,
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lakini sio kabla sijapata elimu nzuri
01:33
and not before I am all grownmzima up.
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na sio kabla sijakua mtu mzima
01:37
I'll marrykuoa when I want."
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Nitaolewa ninapotaka."
01:40
This poemshairi mightnguvu seemkuonekana oddisiyo ya kawaida,
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Shairi inaonekana isiyo ya kawaida
01:43
writtenimeandikwa by a 13-year-oldmwenye umri wa miaka girlmsichana,
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kuandikwa na msichana wa miaka 13,
01:47
but where I and EileenEileen come from,
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lakini tunapotoka mimi na Eileen,
01:52
this poemshairi, whichambayo I have just readsoma to you,
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shairi hiyo, niliyoikusomeeni,
01:55
is a warrior'sya shujaa crykilio.
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ni sauti ya shujaa.
01:59
I am from MalawiMalawi.
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Ninatoka Malawi.
02:03
MalawiMalawi is one of the poorestmaskini zaidi countriesnchi,
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Malawi ni nchi ya maskini,
02:07
very poormaskini,
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maskini sana,
02:09
where genderjinsia equalityusawa is questionablewasiwasi.
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ambapo usawa wa kijinsi sio hakika.
02:14
GrowingKuongezeka up in that countrynchi,
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Kukua katika nchi ile,
02:16
I couldn'thaikuweza make my ownmwenyewe choicesuchaguzi in life.
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Sikuweza kujichagulia katika maisha.
02:20
I couldn'thaikuweza even explorekuchunguza
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Sikuweza hata kuzichungua
02:22
personalbinafsi opportunitiesfursa in life.
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nafasi za kibinafsi katika maisha yangu.
02:25
I will tell you a storyhadithi
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Nitakuambieni hadithi
02:27
of two differenttofauti girlswasichana,
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ya wasichana wawili tofauti,
02:30
two beautifulnzuri girlswasichana.
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wasichana wawili warembo.
02:34
These girlswasichana grewilikua up
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Hawa wasichana walikua
02:36
underchini the samesawa roofpaa.
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chini ya paa moja.
02:38
They were eatingkula the samesawa foodchakula.
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Walikula chakula sawa sawa.
02:41
SometimesWakati mwingine, they would sharekushiriki clothesnguo,
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Wakati wengine, wangezigawana nguo,
02:44
and even shoesviatu.
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na hata viatu.
02:46
But theirwao livesanaishi endedilimalizika up differentlytofauti,
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Lakini maisha zao ziliishia tofauti,
02:51
in two differenttofauti pathsnjia.
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kwa njia mbili tofauti.
02:55
The other girlmsichana is my little sisterdada.
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Yule msichana mwengine ni dada yangu mdogo.
02:58
My little sisterdada was only 11 yearsmiaka oldzamani
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Dada yangu alikuwa na miaka 11
03:03
when she got pregnantmimba.
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alipopata mimba.
03:08
It's a hurtfulkuumiza thing.
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Ni jambo la kuumiza.
03:13
Not only did it hurtkuumiza her, even me.
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Si kama ilimwumiza pekee, lakini mimi pia.
03:16
I was going throughkupitia a hardngumu time as well.
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Nilikuwa na wakati wa tafrani pia.
03:20
As it is in my cultureutamaduni,
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Kwa sasa katika utamaduni wangu,
03:23
oncemara moja you reachfikia pubertyujira stagehatua,
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ukifika ubalehe,
03:26
you are supposedwalidhani to go
to initiationuanzishaji campsmakambi.
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inabidi uende makambi ya kuanzisha.
03:30
In these initiationuanzishaji campsmakambi,
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Katika makambi haya,
03:33
you are taughtalifundishwa how
to sexuallyngono please a man.
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unafundishwa vipi umfurahishe mwanamume kwa kijinsia.
03:36
There is this specialMaalum day,
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Kuna siku maalum,
03:38
whichambayo they call "Very SpecialMaalum Day"
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wanayoiita "Siku maalum sana"
03:41
where a man who is hiredaliyeajiriwa
by the communityjumuiya
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ambapo mwanamume anaajiriwa na jamii
03:44
comesinakuja to the campkambi
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anakuja kambini
03:47
and sleepsanalala with the little girlswasichana.
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na anafanya mapenzi na watoto wadogo.
03:51
ImagineKufikiria the traumakiwewe that these youngvijana girlswasichana
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Wazeni kiwewe wasichana hawa
03:53
go throughkupitia everykila day.
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wanachokisikia kila siku.
03:58
MostWengi girlswasichana endmwisho up pregnantmimba.
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Wasichana wengi wanapata mimba.
04:01
They even contractmkataba HIVVVU and AIDSUKIMWI
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Na hata wanashikwa na ukimwi
04:04
and other sexuallyngono transmittedzinaa diseasesmagonjwa.
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na magonjwa mengine ya zinaa.
04:07
For my little sisterdada,
she endedilimalizika up beingkuwa pregnantmimba.
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Kwa dadangu mdogo,
alipata mimba.
04:12
TodayLeo, she's only 16 yearsmiaka oldzamani
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Leo, ana miaka 16
04:16
and she has threetatu childrenwatoto.
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na ana watoto watatu.
04:19
Her first marriagendoa did not survivekuishi,
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Ndoa yake ya kwanza haijaishi,
04:23
norwala did her secondpili marriagendoa.
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wala ndoa yake ya pili.
04:26
On the other sideupande, there is this girlmsichana.
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Kwa upande wengine, kuna msichana huyo.
04:31
She's amazingajabu.
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Anashangaza.
04:33
(LaughterKicheko)
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(Kicheko)
04:35
(ApplauseMakofi)
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(Makofi)
04:39
I call her amazingajabu because she is.
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Nasema anashangaza kwa sababu ni kweli.
04:42
She's very fabulousfabulous.
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Ni zaidi ya mzuri.
04:45
That girlmsichana is me. (LaughterKicheko)
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Msichana yule ni mimi. (Kicheko)
04:48
When I was 13 yearsmiaka oldzamani,
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Nilipokuwa na miaka 13,
04:51
I was told, you are grownmzima up,
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Niliambiwa, umekua mzima,
04:55
you have now reachedilifikia of ageumri,
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sasa umebalehe,
04:58
you're supposedwalidhani to go
to the initiationuanzishaji campkambi.
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inadhaniwa uende kambi la kuanzisha.
05:01
I was like, "What?
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Nilisema, "Nini?
05:04
I'm not going to go
to the initiationuanzishaji campsmakambi."
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Siendi kwa yale makambi ya kuanzisha."
05:10
You know what the womenwanawake said to me?
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Unajua nini mwanamke yule aliniambia?
05:13
"You are a stupidwajinga girlmsichana. StubbornMkaidi.
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"Wewe ni mpumbavu. Mkaidi.
05:16
You do not respectheshima the traditionsmila
of our societyjamii, of our communityjumuiya."
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Huziheshimu desturi za jamii yetu, za jumuia yetu."
05:24
I said no because I knewalijua
where I was going.
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Nilikataa kwa sababu nilijua wapi nilipokwenda.
05:27
I knewalijua what I wanted in life.
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Nilijua nilivyotaka katika maisha yangu.
05:31
I had a lot of dreamsndoto as a youngvijana girlmsichana.
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Nilikuwa na matumaini mengi nilipokuwa mtoto.
05:36
I wanted to get well educatedelimu,
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Nilitaka kupata elimu nzuri
05:39
to find a decentheshima jobkazi in the futurebaadaye.
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Kutafuta kazi nzuri wakati wa badae.
05:42
I was imaginingkufikiria myselfMimi mwenyewe as a lawyerMwanasheria,
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Nilikuwa najifikiria kama mwanasheria,
05:44
seatedameketi on that bigkubwa chairmwenyekiti.
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kukaa katika kiti kile kikubwa.
05:46
Those were the imaginationsmawazo that
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Yale yalikuwa mawazo
05:49
were going throughkupitia my mindakili everykila day.
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yaliokuwa katika akili yangu kila siku.
05:52
And I knewalijua that one day,
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Na nilijua kwamba siku moja
05:54
I would contributekuchangia something,
a little something to my communityjumuiya.
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Ningesaidia kupa kitu,
kitu kidogo kwa jumuia yangu.
05:58
But everykila day after refusingkukataa,
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Lakini kila siku baada ya kukataa,
06:01
womenwanawake would tell me,
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wanawake wangeniambia,
06:03
"Look at you, you're all grownmzima up.
Your little sisterdada has a babymtoto.
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"Jitazama, umekua mtu mzima.
Dadako mdogo amepata mtoto.
06:06
What about you?"
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Vipi wewe?"
06:08
That was the musicmuziki
that I was hearingkusikia everykila day,
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Ile ilikuwa muziki
niliyoisikia kila siku,
06:13
and that is the musicmuziki
that girlswasichana hearkusikia everykila day
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na ile ni muziki
wasichana wanayoisikia kila siku
06:16
when they don't do something
that the communityjumuiya needsmahitaji them to do.
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wasipolifanya jambo
ambalo jumuia inawatakia wafanye.
06:23
When I comparedikilinganishwa the two storieshadithi
betweenkati me and my sisterdada,
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Nilipozilinganisha hadithi hizo mbili
kati ya mimi na dadangu,
06:27
I said, "Why can't I do something?
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Nilisema, "Mbona nisiweze kufanya kitu?"
06:32
Why can't I changemabadiliko something
that has happenedkilichotokea for a long time
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Kwa nini nisiweze kubadilisha jambo
lililotokea kwa muda mrefu
06:37
in our communityjumuiya?"
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katika jamii yetu?"
06:39
That was when I calledaitwaye other girlswasichana
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Wakati ule niliwaita wasichana wengine
06:42
just like my sisterdada, who have childrenwatoto,
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kama dadangu, ambao wamepata watoto,
06:44
who have been in classdarasa but they have
forgottenwamesahau how to readsoma and writeandika.
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waliokwenda darasani lakini
wamesahau kusoma na kuandika.
06:48
I said, "Come on, we can
remindkukumbusha eachkila mmoja other
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Nilisema "Njoo, tukumbushane
06:50
how to readsoma and writeandika again,
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je kusoma na kuandika tena,
06:52
how to holdkushikilia the penkalamu,
how to readsoma, to holdkushikilia the bookkitabu."
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kuikamata kalamu vipi,
kusomaje, kuzuia kitabu."
06:56
It was a great time I had with them.
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Ilikuwa wakati nzuri sana nao.
06:59
NorWala did I just learnkujifunza a little about them,
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Sio kwamba nilifundishwa kidogo kuhusu wale,
07:04
but they were ableinaweza to tell me
theirwao personalbinafsi storieshadithi,
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lakini pia waliweza kuniambia
hadithi zao za kibinafsi,
07:07
what they were facinginakabiliwa everykila day
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waliyokabiliana kila siku
07:09
as youngvijana mothersmama.
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kama mama wadogo.
07:12
That was when I was like,
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Wakati ule nilidhani,
07:14
'Why can't we take all these things
that are happeningkinachotokea to us
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"Kwa nini tusiweze kuangalia mambo hayo
yanayotuathiri
07:17
and presentsasa them and tell our mothersmama,
our traditionaljadi leadersviongozi,
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na kuyaonesha na kuwaambia mama zao,
viongozi wetu wa jadi,
07:21
that these are the wrongsi sawa things?"
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kwamba mambo hayo ni maovu?"
07:23
It was a scaryinatisha thing to do,
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Ilikuwa jambo la hofu,
07:25
because these traditionaljadi leadersviongozi,
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kwa sababu viongozi hawa wa jadi,
07:27
they are alreadytayari accustomedwamezoea to the things
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wameshayazoea mambo
07:30
that have been there for agesumri.
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yaliyokuwepo kwa muda mrefu.
07:32
A hardngumu thing to changemabadiliko,
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Ni jambo ambalo ni ngumu kubadilisha,
07:34
but a good thing to try.
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lakini nzuri kujitahidi.
07:37
So we triedwalijaribu.
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Kwa hiyo tulijitahidi.
07:39
It was very hardngumu, but we pushedkusukuma.
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Ilikuwa ngumu sana, lakini tulivumulia.
07:42
And I'm here to say that in my communityjumuiya,
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Na mimi nipo kwa kusema kwamba katika jumuia yangu,
07:45
it was the first communityjumuiya after girlswasichana
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ilikuwa jumuia ya kwanza baada ya wasichana
07:47
pushedkusukuma so hardngumu to our traditionaljadi leaderkiongozi,
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walijitahidi sana kumthibitishia kiongozi wa jadi wetu,
07:51
and our leaderkiongozi stoodalisimama up for us
and said no girlmsichana has to be marriedndoa
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na kiongozi wetu alitutetea
na akasema hakuna msichana
alazimishwaye kuolewa
07:55
before the ageumri of 18.
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kabla hajafika miaka 18.
07:57
(ApplauseMakofi)
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(Makofi)
08:05
In my communityjumuiya,
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Katika jumuia yangu
08:07
that was the first time a communityjumuiya,
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Ilikuwa mara ya kwanza kwa jumuia,
08:09
they had to call the bylawsstaili,
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ilibidi watazame sheria ndogo,
08:12
the first bylawbylaw that protectedLindwa girlswasichana
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ya kwanza iliyowalinda wasichana
08:15
in our communityjumuiya.
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katika jumuia yetu.
08:18
We did not stop there.
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Hatukumaliza na hivyo.
08:19
We forgedimefungwa aheadmbele.
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Tuliendelea.
08:22
We were determinedkuamua to fightkupigana for girlswasichana
not just in my communityjumuiya,
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Tulikusudia kuwapigania wasichana
sio katika jamii yangu tu
08:26
but even in other communitiesjamii.
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lakini kwenye jamii nyingine.
08:29
When the childmtoto marriagendoa billmuswada
was beingkuwa presentediliyotolewa in FebruaryFebruari,
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Wakati muswada wa ndoa za watoto
iliwasilishwa mwezi wa pili
08:33
we were there at the ParliamentBunge housenyumba.
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tulikuwepo kwenye mahakama ya bunge.
08:37
EveryKila day, when the memberswanachama
of ParliamentBunge were enteringkuingia,
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Kila siku, wakati wabunge
walipoingia,
08:41
we were tellingkuwaambia them,
"Would you please supportmsaada the billmuswada?"
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tulikuwa tukiwaambia,
"Tafadhali uitegemee muswada hii?"
08:44
And we don't have
much technologyteknolojia like here,
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Na hatuna
teknolojia nyingi kama huku,
08:49
but we have our smallndogo phonessimu.
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lakini tunazo simu zetu ndogo.
08:51
So we said, "Why can't we get
theirwao numbersnambari and textmaandishi them?"
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Kwa hiyo tulisema, "Mbona tusiweze kupata
namba zao na kuwatumia text?"
08:56
So we did that. It was a good thing.
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Kwa hiyo tulifanya hivyo.
Na ilikuwa jambo zuri
08:59
(ApplauseMakofi)
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(Makofi)
09:01
So when the billmuswada passedilipita,
we textedtexted them back,
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Kwa hiyo muswada ilipokubalika,
tuliwajibia na text,
09:04
"Thank you for supportingkusaidia the billmuswada."
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"Asante kwa kutegemea muswada."
09:06
(LaughterKicheko)
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(Kicheko)
09:07
And when the billmuswada was signediliyosainiwa
by the presidentrais,
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Na muswada iliposajilika
na Rais,
09:11
makingkufanya it into lawsheria, it was a pluspamoja.
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kwa kuifanya kuwa sheria, ilikuwa ziada.
09:14
Now, in MalawiMalawi, 18 is the legalkisheria
marriagendoa ageumri, from 15 to 18.
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Sasa, katika Malawi, miaka 18 ni umri wa
kisheria kuolewa, kutoka 15 hadi 18.
09:20
(ApplauseMakofi)
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(Makofi)
09:26
It's a good thing to know
that the billmuswada passedilipita,
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Ni jambo zuri kulijua
kwamba muswada imakubalika,
09:30
but let me tell you this:
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lakini nikuambieni:
09:33
There are countriesnchi where 18
is the legalkisheria marriagendoa ageumri,
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Kuna nchi ambako miaka 18
ni umri wa kisheria kuolewa,
09:37
but don't we hearkusikia criesvilio
of womenwanawake and girlswasichana everykila day?
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lakini sio tunasikia kilio
za wanawake na wasichana kila siku?
09:41
EveryKila day, girls'wasichana livesanaishi
are beingkuwa wastedkupita away.
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Kila siku, maisha ya wasichana
yanashuka thamani.
09:47
This is highjuu time for leadersviongozi
to honorheshima theirwao commitmentkujitolea.
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Ni wakati muhimu kwa viongozi waiheshimu ahadi yao.
09:53
In honoringkuheshimu this commitmentkujitolea,
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Kwa kuiheshimu ahadi hiyo,
09:56
it meansina maana keepingkuweka girls'wasichana issuesmambo
at heartmoyo everykila time.
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inamaanisha kuyaweka maswala ya wasichana
moyoni kila mara.
10:01
We don't have to be subjectedilitiwa as secondpili,
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Tusitiishiwe kama duni,
10:05
but they have to know that womenwanawake,
as we are in this roomchumba,
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lakini wajue kwamba wanawake,
kama sisi chumbani humu,
10:09
we are not just womenwanawake,
we are not just girlswasichana,
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sisi sio wanawake tu,
sisi sio wasichana tu,
10:13
we are extraordinaryajabu.
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sisi ni wa ajabu.
10:14
We can do more.
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Tunaweza kufanya zaidi.
10:16
And anothermwingine thing for MalawiMalawi,
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Na kitu chengine kwa Malawi,
10:19
and not just MalawiMalawi but other countriesnchi:
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na si kwa Malawi pekee lakini nchi nyingine pia:
10:22
The lawssheria whichambayo are there,
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Sheria zinazowepo,
10:26
you know how a lawsheria is not a lawsheria
untilmpaka it is enforcedkutekelezwa?
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mnajua sheria sio sheria
mpaka inatekeleza?
10:32
The lawsheria whichambayo has just recentlyhivi karibuni passedilipita
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Sheria iliyokubalika juzi
10:35
and the lawssheria that in other countriesnchi
have been there,
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na sheria ambazo katika nchi nyingine
zimekuwepo,
10:38
they need to be publicizedimeangaziwa
at the localmitaa levelngazi,
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zinahitajika kutangazwa
kwa njia za kienyeji,
10:42
at the communityjumuiya levelngazi,
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katika jamii,
10:44
where girls'wasichana issuesmambo are very strikingkuvutia.
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ambako maswala ya wasichana yako wazi.
10:49
GirlsWasichana faceuso issuesmambo, difficultvigumu issuesmambo,
at the communityjumuiya levelngazi everykila day.
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Wasichana wanakabiliana na maswala,
maswala magumu, katika jamii zao kila siku.
10:55
So if these youngvijana girlswasichana know
that there are lawssheria that protectkulinda them,
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Kwa hiyo ikiwa wajue kwamba
kuna sheria ziwalindazo,
11:00
they will be ableinaweza to standsimama up
and defendkulinda themselveswenyewe
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wataweza kusimama
na kujilinda
11:03
because they will know that
there is a lawsheria that protectsinalinda them.
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kwa sababu watajua kwamba
kuna sheria ziwalindazo.
11:09
And anothermwingine thing I would say is that
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Na kitu chengine nisemacho ni kwamba
11:13
girls'wasichana voicessauti and women'swanawake voicessauti
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sauti za wasichana na wanawake
11:17
are beautifulnzuri, they are there,
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ni nzuri sana, na zipo,
11:20
but we cannothaiwezi do this alonepeke yake.
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lakini hatuwezi kufanya peke yetu.
11:23
MaleMwanamume advocateswatetezi wa, they have to jumpkuruka in,
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watetezi wa kiume, washirikiana,
11:26
to stephatua in and work togetherpamoja.
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wajihusishe na tufanye kazi pamoja.
11:28
It's a collectivepamoja work.
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ni kazi ya umoja.
11:31
What we need is what girlswasichana elsewheremahali pengine need:
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Tunavyohitaji ni vile vihitajikavyo
na wasichana wa sehemu zote:
11:33
good educationelimu, and abovehapo juu all,
not to marrykuoa whilstwakati 11.
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5758
elimu nzuri, na juu ya yote,
ni kutoolewa wakiwa na miaka 11.
11:42
And furthermorezaidi,
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Na zaidi ya hayo,
11:44
I know that togetherpamoja,
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Najua kwamba pamoja,
11:48
we can transformkubadilisha the legalkisheria,
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tunaweza kubadilisha mifumo ya kisheria,
11:51
the culturalutamaduni and politicalkisiasa frameworkmfumo
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kiutamaduni na kisiasa
11:55
that deniesanakanusha girlswasichana of theirwao rightshaki.
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inayozikanusha haki za wasichana.
11:59
I am standingmsimamo here todayleo
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Nasimama hapa leo
12:04
and declaringkutangaza that we can
endmwisho childmtoto marriagendoa in a generationkizazi.
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7040
na kutangaza kwamba tunaweza
kuisha ndoa za watoto katika kizazi kimoja.
12:12
This is the momentwakati
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Sasa ni wakati
12:14
where a girlmsichana and a girlmsichana,
and millionsmamilioni of girlswasichana worldwideduniani kote,
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ambapo msichana na msichana,
na millioni za wasichana duniani,
12:19
will be ableinaweza to say,
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wataweza kusema,
12:21
"I will marrykuoa when I want."
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"Nitolewa ninapotaka."
12:25
(ApplauseMakofi)
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(Makofi)
12:35
Thank you. (ApplauseMakofi)
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Asante. (Makofi)
Translated by Louise Watts
Reviewed by Joachim Mangilima

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Memory Banda - Activist
Memory Banda is a tireless leader for girls’ rights, in Malawi and around the world.

Why you should listen

Memory Banda is a tireless leader for girls' rights around the world. She is leading Malawi's fight to end child marriage through her work with Let Girls Lead and the Girl Empowerment Network of Malawi.

Only 18-years-old, Memory championed a succesful national campaign that culminated in landmark legislation that outlawed child marriage. Memory works with girl leaders to ensure that village chiefs ban child marriage, end sexual initiation practices, enable girls to finish school and live safe from violence in a country where more than half of girls are married as children.

Memory became an advocate for girls  after her younger sister was forced into marriage at the age of 11. She is now a college student in Malawi.

 

  

More profile about the speaker
Memory Banda | Speaker | TED.com