• She came to see what Unicef is doing to support education of adolescents and children
• She also sought to learn from the positive practices being carried out on the ground
Image: COURTESY
Her Majesty Queen Mathilde came to Kenya last June in her capacity as honorary president of Unicef Belgium.
This was not her first trip to Africa. The Queen, who is the wife of the King of the Belgians, has in the past visited several African countries. But this time, to the surprise of many, she brought her 17-year-old daughter Elisabeth on what was the first Unicef mission for the Crown Princess.
Both came to see what the UN agency Unicef is doing in Kenya to support the education of adolescents and children, and also to learn from the positive practices being carried out on the ground.
This visit gave Queen Mathilde the opportunity to see Kenyan adolescents in very different settings, to interact with them, and to hear directly from them the challenges they face in their lives. Learning firsthand and directly from the affected young people was a key component of this visit.
For example, in Kalobeyei, Turkana county, the Belgian delegation got acquainted with the innovative management of the refugee camp by the UN High Commission for Refugees, and visited schools where children from South Sudan and other countries mingle with local children.
In Nairobi, the Queen and the Princess visited Unicef-supported projects and so learned about the Amref Child Protection and Development Centre in Dagoretti. In Korogocho at the Acakoro Football Academy, they engaged directly in the games being played by the boys and girls. They also paid a visit to the mothers of some of the children in their homes.
Queen Mathilde went also to Kajiado county to get an insight into Maasai culture and how Unicef and the NGO World Vision work among the Maasai towards the elimination of practices such as early marriage and female genital mutilation.
There, she listened to Purity, a bright teenager who convinced her parents not to marry her off and asked them to give her a chance to study. The Queen of the Belgians also got to listen to other stories of the challenges faced by young girls in this very traditional community. She also witnessed the dialogues where Maasai men and Maasai women, in separate groups, reflect on these harmful practices.
During her visit to Kenya, Queen Mathilde was received at State House by First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, and also held discussions with Education CS George Mahoga.
The Kenyan First Lady and the Queen of the Belgians are both high-profile women who serve as UN ambassadors. The meeting gave them the opportunity to exchange ideas on the challenges of education.