IRIN | Africa | Hear our Voices

Kassim Kalukwete, "I do not have maize at home"
		Kassim Kalukwete, a subsistence farmer in his 60s in the lakeshore district of Mangochi in southern Malawi said his family and many others in his village, Kungumbe, do not have food. full testimony
Justice Dube,"I am just doing what my forefathers did"
		Justice Dube, 35, was forced to return to his roots when the company he worked for as a mechanic shut down recently. He has taken up cultivating the family farm 100km northeast of Mbabane to support his young family. Coping with the sky-high cost of fertilizer was his main obstacle, until he turned to traditional practices. full testimony
Clarisse Bilai, “I knew I deserved a better life than what I was living”
		Clarisse Bilai, 29, has been working as what she calls a “house girl” for almost 10 years, living first with her aunt in central Togo in the town of Sokode before they moved to the capital Lome. Having left her birth country, Ghana, at age nine, Bilai helped clean her aunt’s house while she made money as a street vendor until age 23. But she wanted more, she told IRIN. full testimony
Aridjetou Oumorou, “For non-virgins, I was paid more than twice as much”
		Aridjetou Oumorou, 65, had been carrying out female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) for more than four decades until 2003, having started as an assistant to her mother, a community healer in central Togo. The region has the highest concentration of FGM/C in Togo. full testimony
Ali*, “These are children who have lost their lives”
		Ali* once fought with Chadian rebels. In the past two years rebels and the Chadian army vowed to hand over any fighters under the age of 18. More than 500 of these youngsters have been supported by a demobilisation programme run by the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, with its NGO partners. Ali would not speak about what he saw in combat but told IRIN people must do everything possible to shield children from the experience. full testimony
Matthias Kalima, "Ambulance drivers risk contracting the virus in the line of duty"
		The festive season is among the busiest times of the year for Malawi’s ambulance drivers, with accidents due to drunk driving common. IRIN spoke to Matthias Kalima, 43, who will be on call over the Christmas period. full testimony

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This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States. Republication is subject to terms and conditions as set out in the IRIN copyright page.