MULANJE, Malawi - Chifuniro Fadwell (24) lives in Lomo Village, in Mulanje District, with her husband and their young child. Life is modest. Her husband works as a tea picker at a nearby estate, earning just enough to get the family through each month.

For Chifuniro, every decision matters.

“I want my child to grow strong and healthy,” she says. “That is why I decided to wait before having another baby.”

Earlier this year, Chifuniro started using family planning. She chose Depo, a long-acting injectable contraceptive that she receives every three months at the health facility.

“It gives me peace of mind,” she explains. “I don’t have to worry every day. I just plan.”

For now, Chifuniro is focused on caring for her child and supporting her family. With limited income, she knows that spacing births is not just about health—it is also about survival.

“My husband works very hard,” she says. “But one income cannot support many children. We have to be realistic.”

Several kilometres away, another woman is making her own decision about when to stop.

Agnes Mwachande is 37. Her life has not followed an easy path.

Her first husband left years ago, leaving her alone with two children. She later remarried and had two more. In total, Agnes has been pregnant five times. One pregnancy ended in loss.

I have seen both joy and pain.I know what my body has been through.”

In 2024, Agnes decided it was time to stop having children. She tried injectable contraceptives but says her body reacted badly.

“They didn’t work well for me,” she explains. “I listened to my body.”

Today, Agnes uses contraceptive pills, a method she says suits her better.

“This one works for me,” she says. “I can manage it, and I feel okay.”

For Agnes, family planning is about protecting her health and being present for the children she already has.

“I want to be there for them as they grow,” she says. “I cannot risk my life with another pregnancy.”

For women like Chifuniro and Agnes, family planning is not about saying no to children forever. It is about choosing what is right for their bodies, their families, and their future.

It is about timing.

And, above all, it is about choice.

Joseph Scott, Communications Specialist