Titina Silá facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Titina Silá
|
|
|---|---|
Silá in 1968
|
|
| Member of the Superior Council for the Fight | |
| In office 1970–1973 |
|
| President | Amílcar Cabral |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ernestina Silá
1 April 1943 Cadique Betna, Tombali, Portuguese Guinea |
| Died | 30 January 1973 (aged 29) Farim River, Oio, Portuguese Guinea |
| Resting place | Fortaleza de São José da Amura 11°51′35.74″N 15°34′41.55″W / 11.8599278°N 15.5782083°W |
| Political party | African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde |
| Spouse |
Manuel N'Digna
(m. 1970–1973) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Guinea-Bissau |
| Branch/service | Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People |
| Years of service | 1963–1973 |
| Rank | Political commissar |
| Unit | Northern Front |
| Battles/wars | Guinea-Bissau War of Independence |
Ernestina "Titina" Silá (born April 1, 1943 – died January 30, 1973) was a brave revolutionary from Guinea-Bissau. When she was young, she joined the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). She fought in the Guinea-Bissau War of Independence against the Portuguese Empire.
Titina Silá was one of the first women in the PAIGC. She quickly became a popular leader in the fight for freedom. The leader of the movement, Amílcar Cabral, often praised her. She trained as a nurse in the Soviet Union. After her training, she took on a big role in the northern part of the war. She became a political commissar and joined the Superior Council of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People (FARP).
In January 1973, Titina Silá was going to Cabral's funeral. The Portuguese military attacked her group, and she was killed. She is remembered as a hero who died for her country. Her memory is honored with memorials. Her story helps teach young people about gender equality. The day she died, January 30, is now National Women's Day in Guinea-Bissau.
Contents
Titina Silá's Early Life and Fight for Freedom
Ernestina Silá was born on April 1, 1943. Her village was Cadique Betna, in the Tombali Region of what was then Portuguese Guinea. In the late 1950s, a movement to end colonial rule began. Titina and her mother moved to Cacine. There, a leader named João Bernardo Vieira asked Titina to join the movement. Her job was to share secret writings and connect leaders with local farmers.
In 1962, she joined the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). She was one of the first women to join. Soon after, the Guinea-Bissau War of Independence began. Her mother tried to stop her from being an activist. But Titina convinced almost everyone she knew to support or join the PAIGC. She even ran away from home to join the fighters in Cubucaré. There, she learned to fight and went on her first missions.
Titina Silá was known for being "joyful." She quickly became "one of the most loved leaders of the revolution." She was seen as an "iconic female soldier." In 1964, Luís Cabral asked her to design uniforms. These were for the new women soldiers of the PAIGC. That same year, Titina went to the first PAIGC meeting in Cassacá. She was praised for her work in the south. The party leader, Amílcar Cabral, became like a father figure to her.
Training and Leadership in the War
As part of a plan to get more young women involved, Titina Silá went to the Soviet Union. She trained there to become a nurse. In 1965, Titina traveled with Carmen Pereira to Kyiv. This city is the capital of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. At the Kyiv Pedagogical Institute, they learned about healthcare. The lessons were taught in many languages. The teacher spoke Russian. An interpreter translated it into Spanish. Carmen Pereira then wrote notes in Portuguese. She then taught the lesson in Guinea-Bissau Creole. Finally, Titina translated it into Balanta for the nursing students. There, she became good friends with Francisca Pereira. They were similar and both disliked the cold Eastern European winter.
When they returned, Pereira and Silá became important leaders. Titina was sent to the northern front. This was the most dangerous part of the war. She was in charge of healthcare there. She quickly moved up in rank. She became the assistant to the front's commander. She also set up a training camp for soldiers. Later, she was made political commissar for the northern region. This meant she was in charge of rebuilding society and teaching people about politics. She rarely left the front lines. She only left for PAIGC meetings or important visits.
During one meeting, Cabral introduced her to Gérard Chaliand. He said, "Comrade Titina Sila, who is in overall charge of our public health program in the North. She saw combat in the South, gun in hand." In 1970, she joined the Superior Council for the Fight. This was a group of 75 members. Titina, Carmen, and Francisca Pereira were the only women in it. She then met and married Manuel N'Digna. He was also on the Committee and a commander in the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People (FARP). They had two children. Their oldest child died very young in 1972. Titina worried about her young daughter, Eva. So, she sent Eva to live with her grandmother in a safe area called Boké.
Titina Silá's Final Sacrifice
When Titina Silá heard that the PAIGC leader Amílcar Cabral had died, she started traveling. She was going to Guinea-Conakry for his funeral. At the end of January 1973, she was crossing the Farim River. Her group was suddenly attacked by the Portuguese Navy. Titina herself was shot. A Cuban doctor tried to save her. But she fell into the river and drowned because she could not swim. The rest of her group managed to escape. But they had lost their brave political commissar.
The next year, Guinea-Bissau declared its independence. This was officially recognized after the Carnation Revolution in Portugal. Titina Silá's body was taken to Bissau. She was buried in the Fortaleza de São José da Amura. Her grave is near Amílcar Cabral's memorial.
Why Is Titina Silá Remembered?
Titina Silá is seen as a hero who died for her country's freedom. She is honored along with Amílcar Cabral and Domingos Ramos. To remember her, a square in the capital city of Bissau is named after her. In March 1977, a fruit juice factory in Bolama was named after Silá. However, it closed in the mid-1980s.
Titina Silá was one of the few women recognized as a leader in the fight for independence. Even though male leaders get more attention, Titina is still celebrated as a war hero in Guinea-Bissau today. Her story is used in classes to teach young men about gender equality. It also inspires young women to become leaders. Francisca Pereira gave a speech about Titina Silá. She said:
"Titina symbolized the kind of woman that PAIGC is trying to produce. Strong enough to withstand even the kind of test that the north front presented, she was always able to find a solution to the most difficult problem. She had natural leadership qualities and the people responded to her because she was neither selfishly demanding nor authoritarian. Everybody loved her. Everybody. That is why we were all crying when we heard that she had been killed. She was always willing to sacrifice herself for the struggle and that is how she died. She was someone formed by the revolution and who had attained the ideal of what the Guinea-Bissau woman should be."
Every year on January 30, Guinea-Bissau celebrates "National Day of Guinean Women." This day marks the anniversary of Titina Silá's death. It honors all the women who died fighting for the country's independence.
Images for kids
-
Grave of Titina Silá in the Fortaleza de São José da Amura
