The First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, said today in Namibia, the first stop of her tour of Africa, that “the fight for democracy never ends” and urged African youth to stand up for the values of this political system.
“I am here today because you are the guardians of democracy,” said the wife of US President Joe Biden in a speech delivered in Windhoek to students at the Namibia University of Science and Technology.
“We must remember that there is no end to the struggle for democracy. As time passes and challenges arise, it is easy to slip silently into the daydream of cynicism and apathy. It’s much harder to bring millions of people together and find consensus,” Biden said at an event attended by Namibian First Lady Monica Geingos.
The American first lady called for “building on the foundations of democracy by raising the voices that have not been heard, especially women and girls, those who live on the margins of society or those who are vulnerable to abuse”.
“It’s not easy. Democracy is not easy. It takes work. But it’s worth it. Because democracy keeps its promises,” concluded Biden, who received a standing ovation from the students. at the end of his speech.
With this act, the first lady ended her visit to Namibia, where she arrived on Wednesday, and headed for Kenya, the last leg of her African tour.
Biden will be received tonight in Nairobi by Kenya’s first lady, Rachel Ruto, with whom she will hold a meeting and later attend a women’s empowerment reception with US Ambassador to that country, Meg Whitman.
On Saturday morning, Joe Biden’s wife will attend an event with a local business to highlight how young entrepreneurs are transforming farming practices in Kenya through technology and improving food security.
Later, she will attend a meeting with Kenyan women with Rachel Ruto as part of the African country’s First Lady’s Mujeres Alegres initiative, which promotes women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion.
Later, Biden will attend the Shujaaz Konnect Festival, a youth empowerment event in Nairobi that highlights US government support through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Already on Sunday morning, he will travel to a drought-stricken region of Kenya to see the impact of the lack of water on communities.
Kenya, like other countries in the Horn of Africa, is experiencing its worst drought in forty years, which, together with the effects of climate change and Russia’s war in Ukraine, has increased food insecurity.
That night, the first lady will leave Nairobi and conclude her tour of Africa, which she is doing as part of her husband’s commitment to strengthening ties with the continent.
This is her sixth trip to Africa, although her first as first lady.
This tour follows the United States-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington last December, where Joe Biden announced more than $15 billion in bilateral trade and investment commitments, agreements and partnerships.
Additionally, the Biden government is trying to woo Africa to support Ukraine in the war Russia has launched against that country in 2022, which marks one year this Friday.