THE GIRL WHO LIVED HER DREAM

THE GIRL WHO LIVED HER DREAM

Meet Faith Majiga Banda, a 24-year-old girl from Blantyre, Malawi. At just four years old, Faith lost her hearing and speaking ability due to cerebral malaria. Despite this setback, she embarked on her educational journey, facing communication barriers that often left her feeling isolated. Her determination and academic competence excelled through as she outshined in her studies, earning a place at Stella Maris Girls Secondary School.

However, Faith's secondary school experience was marred by the inability of teachers to effectively communicate with her using sign language, resulting in academic struggles and eventual failure in her Junior Certificate Examinations. It was until Form Three that she found support from a teacher who could communicate with her, although inconsistently.

In 2021, Faith enrolled in a tailoring school, where she mastered the craft of designing fashions. Her life changed when she met Katiana LaFrance Executive Director for Tikonze Apapa, who hired Faith and two other deaf designers to teach tailoring to deaf students under Tikonze Apapa's vocational training program.

Today, Faith stands as a testament to the power of resilience and determination. Her journey serves as an inspiration to deaf individuals across Malawi, demonstrating that with unwavering perseverance and the right support, dreams can indeed become a reality.