Celebrating Mama

I can count with the fingers on one hand, the number of people that have made an impact on me at the very first meeting. People that left me open-mouthed the minute we met, without even saying a word. People I would like to stay with for as long as I can, so that I can soak up everything they teach me like a sponge because they exude so much depth and wisdom. Mama Cecilia Tamanda Kadzamira is one of those people.

Even at an advanced age and walking with the aid of a stick, Mama is still radiant. She embodies what I imagine a timeless beauty and epic lady would be; perhaps our Malawian Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn.

On the few occasions I have met her, I’ve felt I’ve known her for a lifetime.  Her smile, radiant and warm, draws you in. Her eyes sparkle and her skin glows. Her humility and down-to-earth nature are amazing, considering that this is a woman who literally had the world at her feet as Malawi’s official hostess during the Kamuzu era.

Under the Ngwazi’s wing, Mama flew around the world, interacting with and learning from some of the world’s greatest leaders, their wives and their aides. In her capacity as Malawi’s first lady, she hosted people of intelligence of power at State House. She had, I would suppose, access to the finest things in life, because the president would accept no less than the best.

And of course, she had access to the one man that almost every Malawian would love to know more of: Kamuzu Banda. She alone knew him well and she alone can tell his story to the nation. Evidenced by his ‘Mama and I’ introduction and references at all public meetings, the Malawi leader was proud of his hostess and held her in high esteem.

Over a decade after his death, she remains fiercely loyal and refuses to tell his story despite being approached and urged by a lot of different people. With her charm and grace, she turns down a lot of interviews and says she would rather touch people’s lives than stand on a podium to speak about her works.

She says and I quote “Of course, I have plans to write my biography in good time but for now, I would like to target the vulnerable and the voiceless. I touch them through what I do. You have to live life and leave your footprints. I do this through charity work”

Which is why we feel blessed beyond measure that Mama granted us an exclusive interview and let us into her life. This week, we celebrate Ms. Kadzamira with a special four-page pull-out and lots of interesting pictures. She has also offered invaluable beauty advice and shared one of her favourite recipes, pancake gratin, with us.

We truly hope that you will enjoy reading on Mama and that you will strand a chain of inspiration from her precious pearls of wisdom.