Fathia Nkrumah
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Fathia Nkrumah (1932-2007; born Fathia Rizk; Arabic: فتحية رزق), was the Egyptian wife of Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana.
Fathia Nkrumah was born and brought up in Zeitoun, a district of Cairo to a Coptic family. She was the third daughter of a civil servant who died early and Fathia was raised by her mother single-handedly after her husband's untimely death.
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[edit] Early life
After completing her secondary education, she worked as a teacher in her school, Notre Dame des Apôtres. As teaching did not appeal to her, she took a job in a bank. At that stage, Kwame Nkrumah proposed to marry her. Her mother was reluctant to see another of her children marry a foreigner and quit the country, as Fathia's brother had left Egypt with his English wife. Fathia explained that Nkrumah was an anti-colonial hero, like Nasser yet her mother refused to speak to her or bless the marriage. Nkrumah married Fathia the evening of her arrival in Ghana: New Year's Eve, 1957-1958.[1]
[edit] Leaving Ghana
Fathia Nkrumah was a very young wife and mother of three very young children when her husband was overthrown in Ghana's first successful military coup d'état on February 24, 1966.[2] She had to take her children to Cairo, Egypt to be raised there while her husband went to exile.
[edit] Death
Fathia died on 31 May 2007 in Badrawy Hospital in Cairo due to a stroke after a period of illness.[3]
Her memorial mass was held in the Orthodox Cathedral Church in Cairo by Pope Shenouda III on Friday, June 1, 2007[4] and she was buried beside her husband in Ghana[5] by the wish of Ghana's president John Kufuor.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Fathia Nkrumah by her son Gamal Nkrumah
- ^ Myjoyonline.com Ghana News :: Fathia Nkrumah is dead ::: Breaking News | News in Ghana | politics
- ^ Ghanaweb
- ^ Discussions :: View topic - Breaking News : Fathia Nkrumah is dead
- ^ Myjoyonline.com :: Photo Gallery ::: His Grace Bishop Antonious Markos, Bishop of African Affairs of the Coptic Orthodox Church (COC) from Egypt being assisted by his members to officiate at the Burial Service. ::: Ghana Photos Online
[edit] External links
- Profile by Gamal Nkrumah (September 2000)
- Fathia fata Nkrumah kente design
- Picture: Fathia with Kwame Nkrumah and W.E.B. DuBois
- Pictures from Fathia's funeral
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nkrumah, Fathia |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Rizk, Fathia |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | First Ghanaian first lady and wife of Kwame Nkrumah |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1932 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cairo, Egypt |
| DATE OF DEATH | 31 May 2007 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Cairo, Egypt |
