The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi, had a fruitful meeting with the Chinese First Lady, Mrs. Peng Liyuan. This meeting took place on the sidelines of the visit of the Congolese presidential couple to China. During this meeting, the Congolese first lady had the opportunity to thank the Chinese first lady for the impetus given by China in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic in the DRC. Thanks to the efforts of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development, the Chinese government had indeed offered medical equipment and inputs to the DRC.
Mrs. Peng Liyuan took this opportunity to recall the crucial role played by the structure she chairs in improving the well-being of African populations, especially women and children. She was also invited to the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Organization which will take place next June in Kinshasa.
The meeting was also an opportunity for the Chinese first lady to present the “For the Health of Orphans in Africa” program which will be launched on June 1, 2023 on the occasion of International Children’s Day. This program consists of offering free medical consultations and medical kits to orphanages and other structures caring for children in Africa. The DRC has been invited to take an active part in this programme.
In addition, the Congolese first lady presented to her Chinese counterpart the “Excellentia” program, which grants scholarships to the best secondary humanities finalists in the DRC. She expressed her wish to send some of these fellows to China to acquire knowledge, particularly in the mining sector.
This meeting between the two first ladies was very promising and bodes well for enhanced cooperation between China and the DRC in the field of health and education.