Birthday of Josina Muthemba Machel (Mozambique)

Josina was a leader of FRELIMO and a soldier in the struggle for the independence of Mozambique from Portuguese colonial rule. Becoming radicalized as a young person in school, she was involved in a clandestine organization for students until the formation of FRELIMO which she was then involved with. As a teenager she was surveilled by colonial police, until once she was 18 she fled the country with eight other students trying to reach Tanganyika. After an arduous journey she was aprehended by Rhodesian police, returned to Mozambique and jailed. She was freed only after an international campaign put sufficient pressure on the government. After another arduous journey she and her comrades arrived to Tanzania, then led by Julius Nyerere who had offered it as a base for those fighting for liberation. There she was involved in many aspects of the revolutionary struggle including being trained as a soldier, community organizing, acting as a delegate at the FRELIMO congress, and promoting women's issues and emancipation. She was one of the promoters and organizers of orphanages for children affected by the war, for educating the population on the importance of sending girls to school, and she also married Samora Machel, who would go on to be the first President of Mozambique. Sadly, in 1970 she began having stomach pains and traveled to Moscow to seek healthcare where they diagnosed her with liver cancer. Although she was advised to rest, she continued her important work and tragically died April 7, 1971, at the age of 25. Moments before she died she stated, "I leave behind two preoccupations, the Revolution and my family." April 7th is now remembered as National Women's Day in Mozambique.