In a society where her birth once meant death, Madam Malinda Mgbafor Okereke defied fate and lived to be 115 years old.
She wasn’t just a woman of remarkable age—she was a living, breathing defiance of a cruel tradition that once marked twins for execution.
Hers is not just a personal story of survival; it is a symbolic victory over a cultural curse that haunted Nigeria for generations.
Born To Be Buried—But Chosen To Live
In 1910, in southeastern Nigeria, giving birth to twins was seen as a spiritual taboo. One—or both—of the children were believed to bring misfortune to the family and community.
Many were abandoned in the forest. Others were killed outright. Mothers were stigmatised or driven away. Into this reality, Malinda was born.
But fate intervened in the form of Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary who saw the injustice for what it was—murder wrapped in tradition.
Mary had already made it her mission to rescue these “cursed” children, sheltering them in her own home and challenging the beliefs of an entire region.
Madam Malinda became one of her rescued miracles.
Survival As Protest
Every year Malinda lived was a silent protest against the lie of the cultural curse.
Her life stood as proof that the tradition had been wrong all along.
She grew, thrived, and eventually bore children of her own.
Her long life became the ultimate counter-narrative to a deadly belief system. She not only survived a death sentence; she rewrote its script.
The Curse Still Echoes
And yet, though the ritual killing of twins is now largely stamped out, the echoes of similar harmful practices linger:
Albino children are still hunted in parts of Africa for “ritual power.”
Accusations of witchcraft continue to tear apart families.
Some ethnic groups still stigmatize twins in subtle, insidious ways.
This tells us that the curse wasn’t just about twins. It was about fear, ignorance, and power—three things still shaping many lives today.
Also Read: 115 Years Later: Why Mary Slessor’s Fight Still Matters Today
Madam Malinda may have outlived the practice, but have we as a nation truly outgrown the mentality?
Honoring The Woman, Not Just The Missionary
Much has been said about Mary Slessor—and rightly so. But Madam Malinda’s legacy deserves its own spotlight. She was more than a rescued child.
She became a cultural icon, a matriarch, and a symbol of endurance.
By simply living, she did what centuries of cultural conditioning claimed was impossible: she turned superstition into history.
Living Is Resistance
In honoring Madam Okereke, we are reminded that living is resistance.
Her life wasn’t just long—it was loud. It spoke across generations, echoing a truth we still need to hear today: no child should ever be condemned by the circumstances of their birth.
She outlived a curse, but her legacy should outlive us all.
