“Now that’s what I call productivity,” she said at State House last Thursday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organisations. Madam Pohamba is the president of OAFLA since 2011, an organization established in 2002 for Africa’s most vulnerable people, women and children infected and affected by the HIV/Aids pandemic. The objective of the MoU is to leverage the work of the two organizations and address the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls on the continent and to protect them from HIV.

Tlou explained that the partnership is in particular seeking to declare Africa a child-marriage free zone, and to address concerns around high teenage pregnancy rates and related sexual and reproductive health challenges.

In addition, the partnership is aimed at stemming the tide of new infections among young women and scale up the on-going work of OAFLA to ensure that no child is born with HIV and that mothers living with HIV do not die of AIDS-related causes. She said the high-level task force looks forward to working with first ladies in Africa to ensure the objectives of the two organisations are fulfilled. “Here in Namibia, we hope to work closely with you, Your Excellency, to scale up the work you have been doing on the positive engagement of men in the AIDS response not just for their own health, but in support of women who need them as partners in accessing testing and treatment.”

Tlou praised Madam Pohamba, saying since she is about to step down as president of OAFLA, she has done the women of Africa proud and would be handing over the reins of the organisation in a much stronger shape than it has ever been before.

The First Lady said the task force formerly represented the Eastern and Southern Africa region, but within the new framework, it will spread its wings to include the entire continent of which more than 90 percent are members of OAFLA.

Madam Pohamba said that through the agreement, the two organisations would have the ability to lobby multiple stakeholders and decision makers to discuss potential problems and recommend effective solutions. “I therefore have no doubt that this collaboration will grow from strength to strength for the continent of Africa,” she concluded.