Chibesa Kankasa

"I went to the labor office to submit my maternity leave papers, "Two men there told me to wait outside while they handled it for me."

""I waited for hours, sensing something was wrong. During my previous two pregnancies, my leave had been approved within minutes."

"I was pregnant during those protests, and when I sat on the box with the bullets, they didn’t dare touch me— even the colonial police had a certain respect for pregnant women."

"I consider this medal not as mine alone, but as an honor for the nation, for my late husband who played a vital role in the liberation struggle, and for my children who endured hardships alongside me."