Francisca Pereira facts for kids

Francisca Lucas Pereira Gomes (born in 1942), known as Francisca Pereira, is a brave Bissau-Guinean nurse and a strong leader. She fought for her country's freedom and later became an important politician.

Early Life and Fight for Freedom

Francisca Pereira was born in Bolama, which used to be the capital of Portuguese Guinea. At that time, Guinea-Bissau was a colony ruled by Portugal.

Joining the Movement

When she was a young woman, around 1959 or 1960, Francisca joined a group called the Guinea-Bissau Liberation Movement. This group later became known as the PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde). Their goal was to make Guinea-Bissau an independent country, free from Portuguese rule.

Training and Helping Others

Francisca first worked for the PAIGC in Conakry, the capital of Guinea. In 1965, she traveled to Kiev in the former Soviet Union to train as a nurse. This training was very important because she would use her skills to help people during the fight for independence.

From 1967, she became the deputy director of the Escola Piloto in Conakry. This school was a special training center for children who had become soldiers or refugees because of the war. Francisca helped care for and educate these young people.

Nursing During the Revolution

During the years of the revolution, Francisca worked as a nurse in areas of Guinea that the PAIGC controlled. She also worked at the PAIGC hospital in Ziguinchor, a city in Senegal. She helped many people who were injured or sick during the war. Between 1970 and 1975, she represented the women who were part of the PAIGC at several important meetings.

After Independence

After Guinea-Bissau became independent, Francisca Pereira continued to serve her country in many different ways.

Leading Roles in Government

She became the Mayor of her hometown, Bolama. She also led the Guinea-Bissau Women's Union (União Democrática the Mulheres da Guiné-Bissau), which worked to support women in the country.

When Guinea-Bissau became a democracy with many political parties, Francisca held even more important jobs:

• Minister for Women's Affairs (from 1990 to 1994): In this role, she worked on issues important to women.
• First Deputy President of the National Assembly (from 1994 to 1997): The National Assembly is like the parliament or congress of a country, where laws are made. Being the Deputy President meant she helped lead this important body.
• Minister of the Interior (from 1997 to 1999): This job involved overseeing the country's internal security and administration.

In 2002, she was appointed as the Minister of State for political affairs and diplomacy. This role meant she helped manage the country's relationships with other nations.

Francisca Pereira's life shows how one person can make a big difference, from fighting for freedom to leading in government and helping her community.