From a barefoot school girl to being Zambia’s Vice President
A GIRL child born into abject poverty in a small village called Mukupa Katandula of Kaputa District in Luapula province is now Zambia’s Vice President.
Who would have ever thought such miracles happen? I guess nobody until you read the story of the country’s second female Vice President.
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She is that girl who could at times sit in a corner and cry herself to sleep just so she could reflect on her life.
Today, Mutale Nalumango shares that her childhood was far from being easy. Her story is one of resilience, faith and hope for every Zambian girl child who dreams of rising above their circumstances.
In her newly launched memoir titled True to Me, the Veep captures her journey from a barefoot school girl to becoming one of Zambia’s most influential leaders.
Growing up in a grass thatched house that leaked during the rains, Nalumango knew what it meant to struggle.
Her mother, without the resources to repair the roof or buy school shoes encouraged her to focus on education.
“From not knowing the date I was born because my mother had birthed eight children before me and to losing my father at the age of six. I am the only child remaining of those born between my mother and father,” shares Nalumango.
“I went to school without shoes and even to the ablution blocks. Sometimes it wasn’t very clean and it was unheard of to go there barefoot. I was so ashamed that I would sit and cry to myself.”
Now the girl child who couldn’t afford a decent livelihood became a teacher because of her determination.
She embraced the teaching career for 25 years only as her heart ached for the injustices she saw around her such as children out of school, poor healthcare and communities struggling to survive.
With no savings or retirement package to fall back on, Nalumango made the bold decision to leave teaching and join politics.
She shares in her memoir that the motivation to join politics wasn’t power or prestige, it was to fight for her people.
“What is seen cannot be unseen. After twenty five years of service as a school teacher and being far from retirement age, the suffering of my people in Kaputa was on my mind without any savings or retirement package, yet I decided to join politics and be a voice for my people,” said Nalumango.
Today, as the second female Vice President of the country, Nalumango continues to honor the values that shaped her.
She has dedicated proceeds from her memoir towards rebuilding the school where her education began, Mukupa Katandula Primary School.
And her husband, the second gentleman, Max Nalumango, spoke of his wife’s character during the launch and encouraged the audience to trust the Veep.
“People don’t trust politicians but at least there is a woman you can trust,” he shared…https://kalemba.news/trending/2024/12/05/from-a-barefoot-school-girl-to-being-zambias-vice-president/
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, December 5, 2024