The?First Lady of the United States, Mrs Melania Trump, arrives in Ghana today on the first leg of her four-nation African tour to promote her child welfare agenda.
It is the first-ever visit by Mrs Trump to Africa, which will also see her make stops in Malawi, Kenya and Egypt.
Mrs Trump will undertake a number of activities while in the country today.
‘Be Best’ initiative
In May this year, she launched her “Be Best” initiative which seeks to combat some of the critical issues that children face today.
The initiative puts the spotlight on successful programmes and organisations that share her goal to apply the tools and skills necessary to tackle the emotional, social and physical well-being of children.
The 48-year-old?First Lady, mother of a 12-year-old son, has made child welfare a major focus and she is using the African tour to advance her initiative abroad.
Thank Ghana’s First Lady
She spoke on her visit to Africa on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting last Wednesday, in the presence of Ghana’s First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
“I’d like to take a moment and thank the First Lady of Ghana for being with us today. Mrs Akufo-Addo, I look forward to visiting your country and know we will find ways to continue working together even after my visit,” she said at the UN Headquarters in?New York.
She said in Ghana, the USAID’s programmes had focused on health care “by supporting efforts to expand the coverage and quality of health care for mothers and newborns and educating women and young children on the importance of proper nutrition”.
Other countries
Touching on the other African countries, she said she was very excited to have the opportunity to visit Malawi and better understand how the US and Malawi could continue working together for a prosperous future.
With regard to Kenya, she said she looked forward to using the visit to know that “together we will be able to do great things on behalf of children”.
For the Egypt visit, she stated: “We have worked with the people of Egypt to promote an environment in which all groups of society – including women and religious minorities – can lead productive and healthy lives. In fact, their programmes have directly supported a reduction in infant and maternal mortality rates, improved early-grade reading and restored and preserved historical sites vital to Egypt’s tourism.”
Source: Graphic.com.gh