As a young girl who enjoyed reading, I had a strong affinity with stories about women and girls. As much as I appreciated and enjoyed these stories, I found it difficult to relate to most of them because they were largely about or written by women and girls from other parts of the world other than Malawi, and therefore I lacked the Malawian girl story experience to which I could relate to.
Things are changing now, as more Malawian women and girls are increasingly becoming more interested to tell their stories, through songs, poems, or novels. Caroline Kautsire, a Malawian English Professor, based in the United States, is one of them.
Caroline has authored two books titled “What Kind of Girl” and “Some Kind of Girl”. The former is a coming-of-age novel that navigates various issues such as identity, class, religion, sexuality, and culture. The latter is a story of her adventures in America, including adjusting to the society while maintaining her identity as an African Woman.
Caroline chose to do something different by not only telling her story but also making it more accessible to more Malawians by conducting various book donations. So far, she has donated copies of her book "Some Kind of Girl" to different schools, orphanages and education centers across the country. Among them include Malawi Children's Mission, a non-governmental organization, and her alma mater Kamuzu Academy. Caroline remarked on one of her social media profiles that she is motivated by the desire to encourage Malawian youth to read stories about other Malawians since they are relevant and pertinent to their own upbringing.
Her efforts should inspire more women and girls to tell their stories in print and other kinds of media that can be passed down from generation to generation. Not only that, but it should also encourage us to make sure that these stories are available to everyone from all walks of life, particularly girls and women.
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you-Maya Angelou
Sharing our stories empowers us to own our experiences and interpret them without relying on others to do it for us. Stories have the power to inspire and unify young women and girls in the fight against inequality and other social ills which affect women and girls. Relatable stories provide girls and women with a clear path to self-discovery as they navigated their girlhood or womanhood.
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