Malawi’s DNA shock leaves kids devastated, warn experts
Heartbroken kids are being left “guilty” and confused as Malawi is rocked by a paternity bombshell — with a staggering 80 PER CENT of dads discovering they’re not the real father after taking DNA tests.
Mental health boffins and child rights campaigners are sounding the alarm over the gut-wrenching fallout hitting families as more men rush to get tested amid cheating fears.
Dr Precious Makiyi, a mental health expert, said the effect on children depended heavily on their age, their grasp of what DNA testing means, and the strength of their existing relationship with the man they have regarded as their father.
“Children might even feel guilt, as if they are the ones who may have contributed, and they might also lose respect towards the parents, especially the mother,” Dr Makiyi said, adding that families should seek professional counselling to help shield children from the emotional fallout of such discoveries.
Child rights campaigner Memory Chisenga said watching a “dad” walk away overnight can leave kids utterly shattered.
“All of a sudden that father changes to say, I can no longer be responsible for this child… That disconnection affects the child because that child has so many questions — because already the connection has already been built that this is my parent, this is my father,” she said.
And it’s not just heartbreak — it’s hitting kids in the pocket too, with Chisenga revealing some men cut off cash for school fees and doctors’ bills the SECOND the DNA result drops.
“You find that most of them will actually stop at that very moment. They will not pay school fees anymore, they will not provide any support anymore because of the DNA result that proves otherwise. And that affects children,” she fumed.
She’s now begging mums and dads to keep their DNA drama AWAY from the kids — reminding them Malawi’s laws are crystal clear that children’s welfare must come first, no matter what the test says.
Focussed on female experts only, yet the issue is affecting men, who take the burden of responsibility-stress- for the bills you are mentioning. Is their mental health not important?, provide suggestion on how those DNA dramas can be taken away from the kids as well
The wives must be responsible for their sexual behaviour. It is good that the law must protect the children but at whose cost? Let the biological fathers take care of their sexual pleasure. For better for worse applies when both parties reveal faithfulness to each other. If the DNA proves otherwise to the wife’s claim of the biological father, then there is a breach to the marriage contract
My opinion is that since this is a very critical issue that will amount to depressions and family breakups besides children’s future economical and psychological issues, there must be a law that protects such incidences, the government must come up with a law that should put in prison for life any woman who is proven to have committed this offence. Exception can be given to women who were raped if the there is proof, in which case would also mean the other man who committed the offence is or should be imprisoned for life. This should apply if it the pregnancy happened after marriage or before marriage but the woman chose to hide. This will bring sanity to families that haven’t suffered such ordeal yet. Beyond this, the culture of Fisi must stop or should be documented between parents so that in the event the husband discovers that the culture played part then the woman should be covered by parents’ consent that was in writing.
According to Memory Chisenga a father should continue being responsible for the seed that someone else planted in his legal wife. This is absurd whatever the law states. Cutting ties with the child means the biological parent has to take responsibility. How doea one endure the pain of cherishing what is not yours in full view of the cheating wife. Its a mockery and demeaning.