Considering that the "betting on education is key for the development" of the countries, Ana Dias Lourenço defended the education of girls as a priority.
"I defend the education of girls as a priority intervention area, because in my view, it is one of the most critical and impacting areas in the empowerment of future and current women", said the First Lady, during an intervention, via videoconference, in the ninth edition of the Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary and in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Merck Foundation, which took place in Dubai.
"I firmly believe that it is important to invest in girls' education, as this will transform our countries and the entire world," she added.
The first lady also recalled that in February of this year she made the "formal presentation" of her foundation, called the Ngana Zenza Foundation for Community Development (FDC).
This organization, she added, "intends to act in Angola as a driving and mobilizing vehicle in the development of projects that create a strong purpose and can be continued, preserved and replicated for the future of Angola and Angolans".
Thus, she said that they chose the areas of the local economy, rural community development, social protection and solidarity, health, education, culture and the environment "to, in a transversal way and with the communities, make the improvement of the conditions of life of the beneficiaries".
In her speech, she also mentioned, within the scope of the strategy for 2022-2025, "the promotion of initiatives, projects and programs in the fields of health, education, environment and citizenship" was established "as one of the strategic axes", and in this context they have "the support from experienced partners like Merck".
The First Lady of the Republic also left a "special appeal" for "the field of health" whose "main objective is to promote health", especially for women and children "through access to basic health care, in general, of sexual and reproductive health and education".
Thus, she indicated that "for this purpose" they defined as "the main objective, to favor the development of an inclusive education, which considers the different needs and capacities of children, young people and adults".
She also highlighted the presence, at the event in Dubai, of members of his team "to exchange experiences and deepen cooperation in the field of education, especially in the project "Educar a Linda/Educar a Weza" and in the field of Health", where they wish to to develop a "mobile health project entitled Tata Uhayele, take care of your health in the national Umbundu language".
Ana Dias Lourenço explained that "this project, which combines creativity and health at the service of the populations, through the management of clinical carriages along the railway line, in the Lobito to Luau corridor, which is the Benguela Railway, in a first phase, and then on the other two existing railway lines in Angola", the one in Moçâmedes and the one in Luanda, giving primacy to the "provision of primary health care, to the communities of the provinces of Benguela, Huambo, Bié and Moxico, with special emphasis on serving children, adolescents and women".
She also congratulated the Merck Foundation for its willingness to partner with her foundation to support "girls' education and health initiatives".
