Graça Machel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Graça Machel
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Graça Machel in 2010
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| First Lady of South Africa | |||||||||||||||
| In role 18 July 1998 – 14 June 1999 |
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| President | Nelson Mandela | ||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Zindzi Mandela Zenani Mandela |
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| Succeeded by | Zanele Mbeki | ||||||||||||||
| First Lady of Mozambique | |||||||||||||||
| In role 11 November 1975 – 19 October 1986 |
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| President | Samora Machel | ||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Position established | ||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Marcelina Chissano | ||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||
| Born |
Graça Simbine
17 October 1945 Incadine, Portuguese Mozambique |
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| Political party | FRELIMO (1973–present) African National Congress (1998–present) |
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| Spouses | |||||||||||||||
| Children | 2, including Josina Z. Machel | ||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Mandela family (by marriage) | ||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Lisbon | ||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Teacher, politician, activist | ||||||||||||||
Graça Machel (born 17 October 1945) is a famous Mozambican politician and humanitarian. A humanitarian is someone who works to improve people's lives and reduce suffering. Graça Machel is well-known for helping women and children around the world. She was even made an honorary Dame Commander by Queen Elizabeth II in 1997 for her amazing work.
Graça Machel is the only woman in modern history to have been the First Lady of two different countries. She was the First Lady of Mozambique (from 1975 to 1986) as the wife of President Samora Machel. Later, she became the First Lady of South Africa (from 1998 to 1999) when she married President Nelson Mandela.
She is also a member of the Africa Progress Panel, a group of important people who work to make Africa a better place. They help leaders make good decisions for lasting change. From 1999 to 2019, she was the leader (called Chancellor) of the University of Cape Town.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Graça Simbine was born in a village called Incadine in Mozambique. She was the youngest of six children. Her father passed away just 17 days before she was born.
She went to Methodist mission schools. Later, she earned a scholarship to study at the University of Lisbon in Portugal. There, she studied German and started to get involved in the fight for Mozambique's independence.
Graça Machel is very good with languages. She can speak French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and English. She also speaks her native language, Xitsonga.
A Leader in Education
Graça Simbine returned to Mozambique in 1973. She joined the Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO), a group fighting for independence. She worked as a schoolteacher.
After Mozambique became independent in 1975, she was chosen as the country's first Minister of Education and Culture. This was a very important job.
During her time as Minister, the number of students in primary and secondary schools grew a lot. It went from about 40% of all school-aged children to over 90% for boys and 75% for girls. This shows her dedication to making education available to more children.
Working for a Better World
Graça Machel has received many awards for her work helping people. In 1992, she won the Africa Prize for her efforts to end hunger in Africa. In 1995, she received the Nansen Medal from the United Nations. This award recognized her long history of helping people, especially refugee children.
In 1997, Queen Elizabeth II honored Machel with the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. This was for her important work in protecting human rights. She also received the Global Citizen Award that year. In 1998, she won the North–South Prize from the Council of Europe.
Helping Children and Families
From 1999 to 2019, Machel was the Chancellor of the University of Cape Town. In 2009, she joined the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group. This group works on important issues for countries in the Commonwealth of Nations.
In 2012, she became the president of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. Since 2016, she has been the Chancellor of the African Leadership University.
In 2018, the World Health Organization gave her an award. It was for her contributions to the health and well-being of women, children, and teenagers.
Her Work with the United Nations
After leaving her role as Minister in Mozambique, Machel worked for the United Nations. She wrote a very important report about how armed conflicts affect children.
From 2013 to 2018, she led The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health. This group works to improve the health of mothers, newborns, and children. In 2016, the United Nations Secretary-General appointed her to a special group for the "Every Woman Every Child" initiative.
She was also named a Sustainable Development Goals Advocate in 2016. This means she helps promote the global goals for a better and more sustainable future for everyone.
The Elders: A Group for Peace
On 18 July 2007, Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel, and Desmond Tutu started a group called The Elders. Mandela announced the group's creation on his 89th birthday.
The Elders are a group of global leaders who work for peace and human rights. They focus on big issues like conflicts, sustainable development, and equal rights for girls and women.
Graça Machel has been very involved in The Elders' work to end child marriage. She helped start "Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage." This group works to stop young girls from being forced into marriage.
Her Personal Journey
Graça Simbine married Samora Machel, who became the first president of Mozambique, in 1975. They had two children: a daughter named Josina and a son named Malengane. Sadly, Samora Machel died in 1986 in a plane crash. Josina, their daughter, is now a women's rights activist.
Graça Machel married her second husband, Nelson Mandela, on 18 July 1998. This was on Mandela's 80th birthday. At that time, Mandela was the first president of South Africa after apartheid ended. Nelson Mandela passed away in 2013.
Honours and Awards
Graça Machel has received many important honors and awards from around the world. These recognize her dedication and hard work in helping others.
- In 1997, she received the Order of Isabella the Catholic from Spain.
- Also in 1997, she was made an Honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by the United Kingdom.
- In 2017, she became an Honorary Fellow of the British Academy.
Some of her key awards include:
- The Nansen Medal from the United Nations in 1995.
- The Global Citizen Award in 1997.
- The North-South Prize from the Council of Europe in 1998.
- The Princess of Asturias Award (International Cooperation) from Spain in 1998.
- The World's Children's Prize (with Nelson Mandela) in 2005.
- The World Health Organization Gold Medal in 2018.
She has also received many honorary doctorates from universities around the world. These include degrees from the University of Massachusetts (USA), the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa), the University of Barcelona (Spain), and Trinity College Dublin (Ireland).
Images for kids
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Graça Machel in 2010
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Graça and Samora Machel hosting Romanian Communist leader Nicolae Ceauşescu, Maputo, 1979
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Machel during the WEF 2010
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US President Barack Obama greets Graça Machel at the memorial service for her late husband Nelson Mandela, Johannesburg, 2013.
See also
In Spanish: Graça Machel para niños
