Background
Chung grew up in a Chinese family in racially segregated Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in the 1950s and trained as an educator at the University of Zimbabwe (then known as University of Rhodesia) and in 1968 went on to earn her post-graduate degree in education and a masters in philosophy in English literature at the University of Leeds. Most recently, Chung earned a BA in economics from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).
During the 1960s, Chung taught underprivileged students in one of the largest Rhodesian townships in Gwelo and in the early 70’s became a lecturer in the Department of Education at the University of Zambia. In Zambia she became a vocal supporter of the African nationalist movement. With the escalation of the guerrilla war inside Rhodesia, in 1973 Chung joined the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), the Zimbabwe liberation struggle. Her participation in the liberation struggle forced her into exile in Tanzania and Mozambique in the mid and late 70’s where she learned to speak Shona fluently. Her initial role within ZANU was in the Information and Media Department; she subsequently became the senior official responsible for implementing ZANU’s teacher training and curriculum development in refugee camps through the 70’s.
Read more about this topic: Fay Chung
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