From Tears of Joy to Scams? The Viral Balaka Sex Worker Story Takes a Bitter Twist
Published on January 16, 2026 at 11:34 AM by Evance Kapito
What began as a heartwarming story of a life-changing miracle for a Balaka-based commercial sex worker has spiraled into a heated social media scandal involving allegations of fraud and “fake identities.”
For the past 24 hours, Malawian netizens have been captivated by a viral video showing a lady identified as Gertu. In the clip, Gertu is seen breaking into tears after a man, who couldn’t speak Chichewa properly, gifted her K500,000. The act of kindness came after the man allegedly asked her for K500, and her willingness to help him moved him to change her life.
The video was shared by a page named “Feeds The World,” and Gertu’s emotional story about why she entered sex work touched thousands. Following the viral success, many Malawians expressed interest in donating further to help her start a new life.
However, the miracle has met a major roadblock. Well-known socialite and whistleblower Gerald Chavez Kampanikiza has come forward with a stinging exposé, questioning the motives and identity of the man behind the camera.
According to Kampanika, the man behind the “Feeds The World” page is actually Mr. Bornface Moyowatha Banda, a Malawian national with roots in Dedza and Ntcheu.
Kampanikiza has raised several red flags regarding the fundraising effort: While the man in the video speaks “broken Chichewa” to appear as a foreigner, Kampanikiza alleges he is a local from Dedza (Mandala) who is actually fluent in the language.
“The entire interaction was just scripted to evoke pity and trigger a flood of donations from well-wishers”, said Kampanikiza.
Concerns were raised after it was discovered that donations were being directed to a personal bank account instead of a registered organization’s account.
Kampanikiza claims to have received reports of similar suspicious activities involving the same individual in Namibia and Angola.
In a stern warning to the public, Kampanikiza urged Malawians to be cautious before sending money to social media “philanthropists.”
“We are not jealous of those helping the country, but we must warn people to avoid scams. I reached out to him regarding these allegations, and his responses are in the screenshots below. We will not allow people to be lied to on social media,” Kampanika posted.
The twist has divided Malawian social media. While some are disappointed that a story of hope has been tainted by controversy, others are thanking whistleblowers for protecting well-wishers from potential “clout-chasing” scams.
As of now, the man behind “Feeds The World” has yet to fully clear the air regarding why he allegedly faked his inability to speak Chichewa or why personal accounts are being used for public donations.
