| Office | First Lady of Malawi |
|---|---|
| Term label | In role |
| Term start | 28 June 2020 |
| Term end | 4 October 2025 |
| President | Lazarus Chakwera |
| Predecessor | Gertrude Maseko |
| Successor | Gertrude Maseko |
| Birth name | Monica Gondwé |
| Birth date | 30 September 1953 (age 72) |
| Birth place | Mwazisi village, T/A Chikulamayembe, Rumphi District, Malawi |
| Spouse | Lazarus Chakwera (m. 1977) |
| Parents |
|
| Website | https://www.soff.org.mw/ |
Monica Chakwera ( Gondwé; born 30 September 1953) ia a Malawian accountant who served as the First Lady of Malawi from 2020 to 2025, as the wife of Lazarus Chakwera, the sixth president of Malawi.
Early life and education
Monica Gondwé was born on 30 September 1953 in Mwazisi village, T/A Chikulamayembe, Rumphi District, in the northern part of Malawi to Robert Gondwé and Vailet Luhanga Gondwé ( Luhanga). She was educated for high school at Likuni Girls' Secondary School[1] She is an accountant[2] and a qualified social worker[3] with a Bachelor of Arts degree in social work from the University of the North, in South Africa.
Marriage to Lazarus Chakwera
Chakwera married Lazarus on 8 October 1977.[4] They have four children and grandchildren.[citation needed]
Charity
Chakwera founded the Shaping Our Future Foundation, an organization that is concerned with the development of the village girl. The initiative was launched at the palace. It was not funded by the government but by large companies.[5]
References
- ^ "First Lady opens up: Born-again Christian, met Chakwera during Scom meetings in college". 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ^ Fiko, Mike (2020-08-07). "Malawi: First Lady Opens Up - Born-Again Christian, Met Chakwera During Scom Meetings in College". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
- ^ Zimba, Steve. "First Lady Monica Chakwera courts Malawians In Diaspora On Social Work". www.zodiakmalawi.com. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
- ^ "Malawi on the road to 2014: Rev. Dr. Lazarous Chakwera | Malawi Nyasa Times – Malawi breaking news in Malawi". 2016-03-04. Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
- ^ "First Lady launches her charity organisation Soff to promote Malawi girl child". Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi. 2020-10-03. Retrieved 2021-09-09.