Graça Simbine Machel yavutse ku wa 17 Ukwakira 1945, mu cyaro cya Incadine, mu Ntara ya Gaza (icyo gihe ikaba yari igice cya Porutigali y’Afurika y’Iburasirazuba). Niwe mwana wa nyuma mu bana batandatu. Se yapfuye ataravuka, ariko yasize asabye ko azigishwa kugeza asoje amashuri yisumbuye. Ibyo byagezweho abifashijwemo n’abavandimwe be.
Yize mu mashuri y’Abametodiste, aza no kubona buruse yo kujya kwiga muri Kaminuza ya Lisbon mu gihugu cya Porutigali, aho yafatiye amasomo mu bikorwa byo kurwanira ubwigenge bw’igihugu cye.
Uko yabaye umugore wa Perezida wa Mozambique
Mu 1973, Graça yinjiye mu ishyaka FRELIMO ryaharaniraga ubwigenge bwa Mozambique. Yahereyemo nk’umwarimu, anakora imyitozo ya gisirikare. Muri urwo rugendo niho yahuriye na Samora Machel, wari uyoboye urugamba rwo kwibohora.
Mozambique yabonye ubwigenge ku wa 25 Kamena 1975, maze Samora Machel ahita aba Perezida wa mbere w’igihugu. Mu kwezi gukurikiyeho, ku wa 11 Nzeri, Graça yashyingiranwe na Samora, ahita aba umugore wa mbere muri Mozambique.
Uretse ibyo, Graça yabaye Minisitiri w’Uburezi n’Umuco kugeza mu 1989. Muri icyo gihe, yagize uruhare runini mu kongera umubare w’abana, cyane cyane abakobwa, bajya ku ishuri no mu guhangana n’ubujiji.
Mu 1986, Samora Machel wari umugabo we yaguye mu mpanuka y’indege ku wa 19 Ukwakira. Graça yahise asezera muri guverinoma, yitangira ibikorwa by’ubutabazi n’uburenganzira bw’abana.
Nyuma y’imyaka 12, mu 1998, Graça yashyingiranwe na Nelson Mandela, wahoze ari Perezida wa Afurika y’Epfo. Basezeranye ku isabukuru ya Mandela y’imyaka 80, ku wa 18 Nyakanga 1998. Nubwo yamaze umwaka umwe gusa ari umugore wa mbere muri Afurika y’Epfo, Graça yakomeje kugira ijambo rikomeye mu gihugu no ku rwego mpuzamahanga.
Mandela yigeze gutangariza itangazamakuru ko urukundo rwa Graça rwongeye kumutera imbaraga n’ibyishimo byo mu bwana agira ati: “Nubwo ndi mu myaka y’ubukure, ndasa n’uri gukura nk’indabo kubera urukundo yampaye.”
Uretse izo nshingano z’ubuzima bwa politiki, Graça Machel azwi nk’umwe mu bavugira uburenganzira bw’abagore n’abana ku isi. Mu 1996, yatanze raporo ikomeye ku Muryango w’Abibumbye yise “Icyorezo cy’Intambara ku Bana”, yagaragaje uburyo intambara zibasira abana. Iyi raporo yatumye hashyirwaho ingamba nshya mpuzamahanga zo kurengera abana.
Graça yabaye kandi Chancellière wa Kaminuza ya Cape Town, ndetse ni umwe mu bashinze ihuriro The Elders, rigizwe n’abayobozi b’isi baharanira amahoro n’uburenganzira bwa muntu.
