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.
Memory Chisenga: watching a “dad” walk away overnight can leave kids utterly shattered.
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.
