The Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OPDAD) celebrated its 20th anniversary on June 17, during a plenary conference marked by the presence of 12 First Ladies from the continent in addition to partners who were key witnesses to the actions of Organization, such as the various UN specialized agencies, as well as representatives of civil society. This celebration affirmed the commitment of the First Ladies to continue their action for the most vulnerable in Africa and to project themselves towards more ambitious actions.
The collective achievements over the past two decades were reviewed and the emphasis placed on the organization’s emblematic projects such as the continental campaign “Free to Shine”, the campaign “Against Women’s reproductive system cancers in Africa” or even that of “Ending child marriage”.
Echoing the alignment of OPDAD’s strategic plan with the African Union’s 2063 agenda, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, promised to support OPDAD’s actions to advance the cause of women in Africa in his capacity as Africa’s champion of positive masculinity.
This celebration took place under the theme: “20 years at the service of the most vulnerable in Africa”. After the plenary conference, the first ladies of Africa and their delegations went to the OPDAD village at the Academy of Fine Arts to discover and appreciate Congolese culture in all its diversity, then the evening ended on a fundraising ceremony and charity auction.
Beyond this celebration, various news have marked life in the Democratic Republic of Congo, such as the ambitious objective of 150 national deputies for the elections next December in the DRC thanks to the mobilization of its militant youth, as well as the determination of the government to tackle the difficulties of starting a business to encourage investment in the DRC.
Nevertheless, there are still many problems to be solved in the country: the rise in urban crime in Beni puts the safety of citizens in danger, the floods in Dima Lumbu leave families abandoned to their fate, those displaced by war in the grip of Codeco militia in Djugu in the DRC, not to mention the return of Joseph Kabila to the political scene, which is fueling tension.
Finally, the terrorist attack in Uganda during the last weekend of June marked the spirits: at least 42 deaths in a school plunged the population into turmoil and reminded us of the need to strengthen security in the region.