The 2019 Ambassadors are currently completing the training component of their 6 months with the Africa Matters team. They have completed 3 of their 4 modules (Basic Skills Development, African Leadership and Africa Feminisms), and upon finishing the Social Entrepreneurship module will begin working toward establishing Africa Matters hubs in Angola, Ghana and Tunisia.
The following piece was contributed by Angolan Ambassador Lussevikueno Kihonda as part of his engagement with the African Feminism module.
As orphans, my siblings and I, we were very fortunate to be raised by this wonderful woman, our Grandmother. It is really hard for me to refer to her as a ‘‘grandmother’’ so I shall stick to mom.
My mom is a very independent, strong, determined and a caring woman. She has taken care of us without the support of a man. She’s had real tough time raising us but she never gave up on us.
Angolan AMI Ambassador Lussevikueno Kihonda and his grandmother Marta Agostinho.
If you were to ask me why she inspires me, well, raising children is never easy for a single mother and that does not depend on whether the situation is good or bad. My mom fought all the way to see the best for her children and she had no man on her side to support her.
She’s faced so many losses of loved ones but she carried on. She likes to do things herself and doesn’t like to depend on anybody. She has inspired me in ways of taking lead and responsibility of my life and be a fighter. The person I am today reflects on the way she raised me to be.
Now, my mom is a woman who had no formal education and she has no academic background. But she has managed to educate her children and she always put the following into our minds: "education and health are the most important things in life, the rest will come later and only if we take a good care of these two things’’.
She’s impacted the lives of others in a very positive way. She’s given opportunity to so many people to reinvent their lives, sustain and take responsibility of their lives and their loved ones no matter what the situation is. She always fought for the well-being of the people around her.
I have learnt a lot of things from her which previously I would have seen as a burden but today as I grew up, I realized that she was preparing me for today’s world and I can tell that she’s done a very amazing and great job.
The first lessons of leadership, entrepreneurship, unconditional love and solidarity came from her. I have learnt that despite of what the situation is, there is always a way out and up and we just have to be strong and take responsibility for everything we do and that better days are forth coming.
From her I have learnt that a man with a good character is worth more than a thousand wealthy men. She always taught me integrity, determination and solidarity.
She’s 77 years old now, very funny and still she doesn’t like to be dependent. She goes after what she wants or needs, even if what it takes is to walk a thousand kilometers, she would do that. She’s lovely and even though we are supposed to take care of ourselves at this stage, she still takes care of us.
She’s a great cook and I have become one because of her teachings.
