Chibesa Kankasa
Chibesa Kankasa, often known as Mama Kankasa (1936-2018), was a Zambian freedom fighter and politician, born at Lubwa Mission in Chinsali. She was the sixth child of Yotam Chibesakunda, a carpenter, and Chilufya Mununga Mutale Chibwe. In 1941, her family moved to Chalimbana and later to Kitwe. She attended Mingolo Girls Boarding School and trained as a social worker, focusing on matrimonial and juvenile delinquency cases. Kankasa worked as a social worker from 1951 to 1961 and married Timothy Kankasa in 1952.
Quotes
[edit]- "I went to the labor office to submit my maternity leave papers, "Two men there told me to wait outside while they handled it for me."
- "I waited for hours, sensing something was wrong. During my previous two pregnancies, my leave had been approved within minutes.
- I was pregnant during those protests, and when I sat on the box with the bullets, they didn’t dare touch me— even the colonial police had a certain respect for pregnant women.
- "I consider this medal not as mine alone, but as an honor for the nation, for my late husband who played a vital role in the liberation struggle, and for my children who endured hardships alongside me."