While President Donald Trump has been busy hosting foreign leaders as part of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, First Lady Melania Trump took the opportunity to outline her upcoming trip to Africa. Mrs. Trump will be visiting four African nations in October to learn more and work toward children’s wellness.
According to the White House, this will be her first major international trip alone. She will be visiting Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt.
Her goal in going on the trip is to extend her work to help children of other nations in need. As First Lady, Mrs. Trump has met with children and others around the United States to bring attention to programs that are working to help kids thrive in today’s world. She hopes to do the same during her international trip.
An International Partnership
“I am thrilled to be working with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on what I know will be a meaningful trip,” said Mrs. Trump. She plans to use the opportunity to “learn more about the United States role in providing assistance to help countries become self-sufficient.” She will specifically be looking at programs that relate to children, including maternal and newborn care, education, culture, and history.
Mrs. Trump’s “Be Best” campaign is bringing awareness to children’s issues here in the United States. Traditionally, each First Lady has chosen an issue to focus her influence on during her time in the White House. Mrs. Trump has chosen to “help our children manage the many issues they are facing today, including encouraging positive social, emotional, and physical habits.
“There are many programs across the country that are doing great things for children, and I believe we can replicate many of these programs overseas. This is why I am pleased to be working closely with USAID as I prepare for my first major International trip to Africa,” she told the UN audience. “By working with developing countries around the world to help them with their journey to self-reliance, USAID’s work embodies much of what Be Best stands for.”
In Ghana, Mrs. Trump will see the work that USAID and Ghana is doing to improve healthcare for women and children. She will learn about education opportunities that have been the focus of programs in Malawi. Her Kenya visit will be a chance to see programs that help with early-childhood education, wildlife conservation, and HIV prevention. Finally, she plans to spend her time in Egypt looking at tourism and conservation programs.
Thank you to all who attended my #UNGA reception today! Looking forward to working with @USAID to take my campaign #BeBest to Africa next week. Together, we can do great things on behalf of the next generation. pic.twitter.com/OG99wwP5Aj
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) September 26, 2018
Building International Relationships
Mrs. Trump met with the spouses of officials in attendance at the United Nations General Assembly this week.
“Our discussions are always united by the universal desire to provide children with the support and tools necessary to grow up happy, healthy, and responsible adults,” the First Lady said of the conversations she has had with the spouses of foreign officials and world leaders.
In attendance during Mrs. Trump’s address were the First Lady of Ghana, Mrs. Akufo-Addo, the First Lady of Malawi, Professor Mutharika, and Mrs. Kenyatta of Kenya.
“Each of us hails from a country with its own unique challenges, but I know in my heart we are united by our commitment to raising the next generation to be happy, healthy and morally responsible adults,” said Mrs. Trump.
