FROM CHINAMWALI TO CHILANGIZO:

APPENDIX D (Translated with permission)
THE ALANGIZl BOOKLET 1
CONTENTS
Who are alangizi?....................... I
How do we choose alangizi? 1
The role ofalangizi 2
Chinamwali (Puberty) 4
Courtship 6
Wedding 9
First pregnancy 14
Birth ofa child 16
FOREWORD
Likewise, teach the older
women to be reverent in the
way they live, not to be
slanderers or addicted to
much wine, but to teach
what is good. Then they
can train the younger
women to love their
husbands and children, to
be self-controlled and pure,
to be busy at home, to be
kind, and to be subject to
their husbands, so that noone
will malign the word of
God.
WHO ARE ALANGIZl?
(Titus 2:3-5)
Alangizi are women chosen by the church to
instruct girls in a Christian way. They must be
faithful Christians who are chosen because of
their maturity and understanding in their Christian
life. Their main work is to lead girls who do not
know Christ to receive Him as their personal
Saviour; and to lead the girls to grow spiritually in
Christ. The alangizi will also act as aphungu
(tutors) when the girls have their first
menstruation.
Two women must be chosen in every local
church. Alangizi should not receive any gift in
their work for their gift is in the joy they get in
serving the Lord.
HOW CAN WE CHOOSE
ALANGIZl?
As the girl takes care of her body, she must keep
it pure. Alangizi should remind her that since she
is a Christian, her body is the Temple of the Holy
Spirit. Because ofthis, she must therefore honour
God with her body and in all that she does. 'Do
you not know that your body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
received from God? You are not your own, you
were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with
your body.' (I Corinthians 6: 19,20).
The private parts of the body have their own
special role. They must be kept pure. Girls
should not use them in immoral way that will
bring sorrow in the end. Defilement only brings
regret to the girl because:
I. She breaks God's command.
2. She can have a fatherless child.
3. She can contract venereal diseases like syphilis
or gonorrhoea.
4. She brings shame to the parents.
5. She can contract AIDS.
A girl should have self-control and not defile or
sin against her body. But that God is honoured
by her chastity. ' ... The body is not meant for
sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord
When choosing alangizi, parents in the church
must look for longstanding Christians who have
been in the church for not less than five years if
possible. The alangizi must be married with
children. It would be advantageous ifthe alangizi
would be able to read and write. They should also
be able to attend alangizi meetings which are held
once or twice per year at their associations.
THE ROLE OF ALANGIZl
Alangizi should know that they were chosen by
the church to serve God. They must teach the
girls Christian values.
Their role is:
I. The alangizi must show exemplary
Christian lifestyle and witness.
2. They are to lead those who do not know Christ
to receive Jesus as their personal Saviour.
They must use the Scripture verses below to lead
the girls to salvation:
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Romans 5:8
" ...for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of
God."
"For the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is
etemal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord."
"But God demonstrates his
own love for us in this:
While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us."
John I: 12 "Yet to all who received
him, to those who believed
in his name, he gave the
right to become children of
God."
Romans 10:9, 10 "That if you confess with
your mouth, "Jesus is
Lord," and believe in your
heart that God raised him
from the dead, you will be
saved. For it is with your
heart that you believe and
are justified, and it is with
for the body.' (I Cor. 6: 13). 'Therefore, I urge
you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer
your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing
to God - this is your spiritual act of worship.'
Romans 12:1).
Very often parents force their children to have
'boy friends' while they are still young.
Sometimes parents choose husbands for their
children. Such a marriage does not last long
because there is no love. The alangizi should
instruct the parents not to marry off their
daughters at an early age. A girl should wait until
she reaches a good marriageable age of 17 or 18
years, while the young man should be over 22.
Some of the things the alangizi need to tell the
girl at the time ofpuberty are the following: They
must tell her that:
I. She should not play with
children.
2. She must respect parents,
the chiefand elders.
3. She must be obedient.
4. She should avoid lying,
stealing, and fighting.
5. She must be industrious.
Romans 10:13.
197
your mouth that you
confess and are saved."
"for, Everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord
will be saved."
3. Write the names of the girls who come for
lessons. Write their dates of birth and the date of
their first menses.
4. Teach them the anatomy of the body from the
biblical perspective.
5. Continue to teach the girls when they are
dating; on their marriage, during their first
pregnancy, and when the first baby is born.
6. Issue a letter of confirmation when a baby is
born.
7. Instruct the girls in all that is not compatible
with the Word ofGod.
CHINAMWALl (pUBERTY)
When the alangizi are informed about a girl's first
menses, they should meet with the girl together
with her mother and phungu. After praying
together, the alangizi should begin teaching
mwambo (counsel).
When a girl matures her body changes. That is
how God made it. 'For you created my inmost
being; you knit me together in my mother's
womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I
know that full well.' (Psalm 139:13,14). Her
body changes both physically as well as how it
looks like. Blood from the girl's private parts is a
sign of puberty and this blood flow happens once
every month for a few days. Since every woman
experiences this sign, so no one should worry that
it is some illness. It foretells the future. This is
God's own way in order for us to have children
The alangizi must instruct the girl on how to care
for her body and her clothing, She must be more
hygienic particularly when she is in menses.
6. She should not mention
God's name in vain
7. It is not good to swear
(misprinted in Chichewa
kulambira [to worship1
instead of kulumbira [to
swear an oathD.
8. She must keep the Sabbath.
9. She must honour God's
house.
10. The disease of mdulo
(cutting) has no power to
harm anyone.
The rest of the booklet contains instruction on
courtship, marriage, first pregnancy, and the birth
ofa baby.
I This is the revised version. Since its first print, in
1974/75, the booklet has been reprinted several times to
replenish the stock. However, it was revised in the 1990s
just by adding the statement "Can contract AIDS' (Int.
Mr. Kaluwa, Manager, Baptist Publications, 25/4/200I).