THE FIRST AFRICAN WOMAN BARRISTER OF EITHER TANZANIA OR MALAWI IS THE 36-YEAR-OLD MOTHER OF FIVE CHILDREN, MRS. VERA CHIRWA, MRS. CHIRWA IS A STATE ATTORNEY IN TANZANIA AND HER HUSBAND IS ALSO A BARRISTER.

MRS. CHIRWA WAS BORN AT A MISSION IN THE MZIMBA DISTRICT OF MALAWI AND RECEIVED HER PRIMARY EDUCATION AT VARIOUS MISSION SCHOOLS - WHERE SHE WAS THE ONLY FEMALE PUPIL. AFTER SECONDARY EDUCATION AT BLANTYRE AND A YEAR AT A TEACHER'S TRAINING COLLEGE, MRS CHIRWA WAS MARRIED IN 1951 AT THE AGE OF 19. SHE HAD TWO CHILDREN AND THEN TOOK A CORRESPONDENCE COURSE IN 1955 TO FURTHER HER EDUCATION.

THE NEXT YEAR, HER HUSBAND WENT TO LONDON FOR THREE YEARS TO STUDY LAW AND MRS. CHIRWA WORKED AS A CLERK TO SUPPORT HER FAMILY. BETWEEN 1961 AND 1963, SHE RESUMED HER STUDIES AND WORKED FOR HER GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION ADVANCED LEVEL. IN 1963 SHE WENT TO LONDON TO STUDY LAW. IN 1966 SHE OBTAINED HER LAW DEGREE AND WAS CALLED TO THE ENGLISH BAR IN THE SAME YEAR. AFTER DOING A YEARS POST GRADUATE COURSE IN LONDON, MRS. CHIRWA WENT TO TANZANIA TO JOIN HER HUSBAND AND WAS APPOINTED A STATE ATTORNEY.