Melania Trump with Rebecca Akufo-Addo, as she hands over a teddy bear to one of the kids. Picture by Jamila Akweley Okertchiri
The United States First Lady, Melania Trump, yesterday arrived in Ghana to begin her first official visit to Africa since her husband, Donald Trump, was elected as president.
Mrs. Trump was received by her Ghanaian counterpart, Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
Ghana’s First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo welcoming First Lady of the US, Mrs. Melania Trump to the West African Nation
The US First Lady, who is embarking on her first extended international solo tour of Africa, arrived at the VIP Session of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) at 10:15am to begin her two-day tour of the country.
The First Ladies walking to the presidential session of the Kotoka International Airport
She was given the usual Ghanaian reception laced with colourful traditional dance, while school children also waved both the Ghana flag and US flag.
A child presenting a bouquet of flowers to Mrs Melania Trump, US First Lady
Melania, 48, left Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Monday evening for the trip to Africa and landed at KIA in what has been described as a ‘stylish custom-made Celine shirt dress and pair of $625 Manolo Blahnik heels’.
After Ghana, Melania will head to Malawi, Kenya and Egypt.
Melania, who was pleased with the warm reception, intermittently stopped to enjoy the traditional cultural display and acknowledged the cheers from the school children who were excited to see her.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two First Ladies proceeded to the presidential suite at the airport where they held a meeting behind closed door.
Stephanie Grisham, the spokesperson for Mrs. Trump, said the US First Lady presented a White House tray in a signed leather case to Mrs. Akufo-Addo, who in turn gave Mrs. Trump, a specially made Ghanaian traditional Kente cloth and some artifacts.
The First Ladies then moved straight from the airport to the Child Health Promotion Clinic of the Ridge Regional Hospital, where they interacted with mothers and their babies to highlight their interests in the health of children.
Mrs. Melania Trump holding a baby at the child welfare clinic during her visit
The US First Lady distributing the ‘Be Best’ branded teddy bears
Mrs Trump cuddled the kids, shared goodies and observed the weighing of babies at the hospital.
Her visit is under the auspices of the US government’s international aid agency USAID and forms part of activities to promote her ‘Be Best’ campaign, which aims at improving child welfare, especially when it comes to online behaviour and addiction to Opioids.
Today, the US First Lady is scheduled to visit Central Region in the company of Mrs. Akufo-Addo to tour the Cape Coast Castle with the view to promoting tourism in Ghana.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri