36-year-old Alepha Chipojola of Kasiha Village, Traditional Authority Mkhumba in Phalombe district, recounts of her deeper story of pain and strength.

When Alepha married, she dreamed of a peaceful home, of laughter and partnership. Indeed for a while, that is what she had. But months after the birth of her first child, her husband changed.

“He beat me up,” she reveals, “It all began when I found out he had secretly married another wife. When I asked him about it, he beat me.”

Even during her second pregnancy, the abuse worsened. Alepha tried to hang on for some time, hoping to win him back, but to no avail and she eventually left him

But after two months, the husband returned, full of apologies and promises that things would change. They reconciled, but peace never returned.

“Most of the time, he came home drunk,” Alepha recalls, “ If I was eating with the children, he would step on the food and throw it away. We would go hungry.”

Their life was stagnant. She at one point, borrowed from the Village Savings and Loans Association to buy new chairs, but he destroyed them.

Alepha faced all manner of violence from her husband until one day when he severely assaulted her; injuring her private parts.  She could not take it anymore.

Desperate and broken, Alepha reached out to the Community Victim Support Unit (CVSU), a local structure trained through a project titled Sustaining Community Women Movement for Peace Building and Humanitarian Response, supported by UN Women and implemented by Youth Net and Counselling (YONECO). These trained volunteers are often the first point of help for women like Alepha.

Ethel Boyce, chairperson of the Mkhumba CVSU, says Alepha’s case was deeply troubling from the beginning.

Apart from the physical abuse, her husband was not sharing proceeds from their farming, Boyce says. When she first came to us, we tried to mediate. The husband claimed they were just having normal marital misunderstandings, so we offered counselling to both.

“She told us her husband had beaten her severely. That’s when we referred her to the police, and the case went to court,” Boyce explains.

The CVSU also helped Alepha access medical care and provided emotional support. They encouraged her to join the Village Savings and Loans Association, not just for financial support, but to help rebuild her independence.

“She is a strong woman,” says Boyce. Alepha is not only free, she speaks to other women and encourages them to stand up and report abuse.”

In the fight against sexual and gender-based violence in Phalombe, traditional leadership has not remained silent. At the forefront of this transformation is Traditional Authority Mkhumba, whose commitment to protecting women and children is rooted in action.

The traditional leader has been actively working hand in hand with the Community Victim Support Unit (CVSU), local leaders, and various community structures to create safer homes and stronger support systems for survivors of abuse.

We take these issues seriously, she says. I support CVSU and similar committees because no woman should suffer in silence. Our culture should not be used to justify violence. It should be a source of strength and dignity for all.

She has been encouraging victims to report abuse, and ensuring perpetrators are held accountable. Under her guidance, awareness campaigns and community dialogues have become common practice across villages.

This local leadership, paired with grassroots commitment, is beginning to yield measurable results. James Gubudu, Phalombe District Gender Officer, has witnessed a shift in how gender-based violence is addressed in the district and it’s largely due to a coordinated approach that involves traditional leaders, CVSU members, Child Protection Workers and other formal government systems.

The progress is real,” says Gubudu. 276 cases were reported last year from traditional authorities Mkhumba and Kaduya while in this year from January to June, we have registered 66 cases.

Gubudu explains that in the past, survivors often suffered in silence due to fear, stigma, or lack of knowledge about where to seek help. But today, more survivors are coming forward, more cases are being reported, and more communities are rising to confront abuse head-on.

Today, Alepha is no longer a survivor. She is a smallholder farmer, supporting her children and herself through hard work and resilience.

“I grow maize, rice, and cassava,” she says. “I sell some to earn money. My children are now happy. They are focusing on their studies and no longer live in fear.” She

She looks back on the darkness she endured with clarity but not bitterness.

Alepha, appreciates the efforts by CVSU, saying without them, she would have ended her life. “I was tired of being abused, and I did not know what else to do.” She adds.

“To all women going through what I went through, please speak out. I did not think I had a way out but I found one. You can too. There are people who care and who will help you.” She encouraged.

Alepha’s journey from pain to strength is more than a personal triumph, it is a testament to the power of community, leadership, and courage. Her voice now carries beyond her village, reminding us that silence only protects abuse, while speaking out opens the door to freedom.