Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 7, 2014
Hi, everyone...
Second Lady Sam-Sumana, thank you for hosting me in Freetown during my visit, and for joining me today. Deputy Minister of Education, Principal Lamboi and students – thank you for such a warm welcome! It’s a pleasure to be here with all of you at St. Joseph’s School.
Before I begin, please know that our thoughts and prayers are with all of the victims and families of those affected by the Ebola Virus.
The United States Government applauds the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and the World Health Organization’s efforts to treat victims and contain the Virus as quickly as possible
You might be surprised to know that two members travelling on my staff are from Freetown: Major Saibatu Mansaray-Knight is a physicians’ assistant at the White House Medical Unit. And Sergeant Richard MacAuley works with the United States Secret Service.
Like Saibatu and Richard, if you work hard and study hard, the sky is the limit.
Today, I want to share with you some impressions from an incredible week I have had in Africa.
As you may know, I have been on a three-country visit focused on the importance of girls’ education, women’s empowerment and good governance…all of which helps to grow the economy, improve health and education, strengthen democracy, and foster peace and security.
At every stop along the way…in Zambia, in the Democratic Republic of Congo and now in Sierra Leone…I have met remarkable people and heard so many amazing stories.
While in Zambia, we visited the Shalom Community School, which is partnering with USAID and other organizations to improve teacher skills, increase the involvement of parents, and ensure vulnerable students have the skills they need to succeed inside and outside the classroom.
Before joining one of the classes at Shalom…where students were learning their vowels…a colorful board hanging in the hall with the words “Our Dreams” caught my attention.
Students at the school had posted notes on the board describing what they dream to become when they grow up.
These students – just like you – dream big. They want to become doctors, pilots, and lawyers. My favorite was the one that said the student’s dream is to become a teacher.
Every dream posted on the board had a common purpose: everyone showed a desire to help their community and country.
During the trip, we also toured hospitals and health clinics that are providing services essential to ensuring girls and women have access to the kinds of health care they need. In the east Congo, U.S. Ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues, Cathy Russell, from whom you just heard, and I visited the PanziHospital, which is doing extraordinary work for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in their community. This hospital is not only saving lives – it’s changing lives.
While in the DRC, I also had the opportunity to meet with women entrepreneurs, like one named Therese who had to overcome steep challenges – including laws in her country that hold women and girls back. Therese is a strong, resilient woman – a scientist. To realize her dream, she worked in restaurants while attending engineering school, and now, she owns her own business, manufacturing and selling traffic-directing robots.
One lesson that I learned from all of this is that without an education, the entire medical team at Panzi Hospital wouldn’t be able to help all the women and children of sexual and gender-based violence in the Congo…without finishing engineering school, Therese wouldn’t be able to help provide for the safety of her community…and without teachers, the students at Shalom – and all of you students here today – might not have the opportunity to realize your dream and give back to your community and your country.
In Sierra Leone, in you, I see a country that has transformed itself in the last decade, from a country torn by conflict to a nation whose people today are bringing peace to Somalia and Darfur.
And I applaud President Koroma’s commitment on issues involving women, girls and youth. He and your First Lady are ensuring that you can realize the unmet dreams of your parents.
You are all part of this transformation. While there is more to be done – and there is always more to be done – I am very inspired by the tremendous efforts that you have made to bring peace, opportunity and prosperity to all of your communities.
And together, we can do more to ensure that all women have the security and economic opportunities they deserve and their families need.
These experiences highlight not just the challenges that women and girls face in Africa, but the work that’s being done to ensure that all girls and boys have the opportunities everyone desires:
- We all want the opportunity to pursue our dreams and be treated with respect –regardless of our gender;
- We all want to have access to resources to help us stay healthy;
- And we all want to feel safe and secure as we pursue our dreams.
Education makes all of those possible.
Because of the education you are getting, you are being set on a lifelong path where most of all, you have the confidence and tools you need to succeed.
And we have seen firsthand how women’s participation in government, the economy, and civil society is critical to ensuring healthy, education and prosperous communities. Through our continued partnerships with African governments, we hope to empower more women through education opportunities, access to healthcare, combatting gender-based violence, because a nation cannot reach its full economic potential until its women reach theirs.
Next month, the United States will host the first U.S. African Leaders Summit where I will share the stories I heard during this trip.
These are stories of hope, stories of resilience, stories of opportunity, they are your stories, stories of a new Africa.
I have learned so much from you. You have all inspired me.
Thank you again for having me.
(C) Politico 08/07/14
