Jill Biden, the first lady of the United States, stressed the importance of youth in a country where young unemployment is an alarming 40% on Friday as she concluded her first visit to Namibia.
Standing in front of 1,300 students crammed into a shaded courtyard at the public Namibian University of Science and Technology, she declared, “Each generation inherits the globe in their time.”
We frequently tell children that they are the future, she continued. And it’s accurate. But occasionally, the message can be heard as “wait.” Wait for a distant goal that will make you stronger or wiser. Await the response of your communities before speaking. Wait as others construct your future. Nonetheless, I am aware that you wish to change these problems right away. You can fix certain issues right now. And you now have gifts to share with the world.
The first lady has had a hectic three days since arriving in the country of southwest Africa on Wednesday. During that stay, she focused on children, education, and women’s emancipation.
She also lauded the vibrant democracy that has been in place and governed by the same party since the country’s independence in 1990.
“I’m honoured to be here, supporting a powerful democracy. As [First Lady of Namibia] Monica Geingos noted yesterday, a fledgling democracy is cooperating. African voices, African leadership, and African innovation are all essential for addressing the most pressing global concerns and fulfilling the shared vision of a world free, as Joe [Biden] stated at the summit.
According to Ndumba Kamwanyah, a lecturer at the University of Namibia, governments may not be persuaded to sever their strong ties to the East despite this modest prodding towards Western democratic values. The former Soviet Union supported Namibia’s independence movement, as it did for many other African countries. And the impressive State House and the military memorial that Biden toured soon after arriving were both constructed by a North Korean firm.
Officials have admitted that they don’t want to pick a side, but in his words to VOA, “from an analytical standpoint, I think that they are leaning towards the Russian viewpoint.”
Yet, Jill Biden’s gentle nature, according to Ohio University professor Katherine Jellison, might maintain good relations between the United States and African countries.
She told VOA, “I think it’s crucial that some prominent members of the Bidenworld visit Africa right now because we need to strengthen our friendship and partnerships with African countries at a time when the Chinese are looking to foster more of those relationships. “Therefore extending that kind hand is a great idea if we want to retain good working relationships with African nations.”
Watch this space, warns Kamwanyah.
“What other activities will be launched after her visit will depend on the results of that engagement. Thus, I believe it’s crucial to remember that the engagement’s concreteness will become clearer one or two days after she departs.
Biden will remain in Kenya for two more days, speaking out for the rights of children, women, and the Horn of Africa’s famine crisis.
