Audio postcard: The African First Ladies Summit

My name is Japhet Emmanuel. I work at the Arusha office of Farm Radio International, where I am the program director for Tanzania.

At the beginning of July, my colleague and I were invited to represent Farm Radio International at the African First Ladies Summit. The Summit brought together first ladies from across Africa to meet Michelle Obama and former first lady Laura Bush of the United States of America.

We were pleased to meet the first ladies of three countries in which Farm Radio International has development programs: Mrs. Salma Kikwete of Tanzania, Mrs. Janet Museveni of Uganda, and Mrs. Roman Tesfaye of Ethiopia. In this photograph, taken on the first day of the Summit in Dar es Salaam, I am honoured to be standing with Mrs. Kikwete. She was delighted to hear about Farm Radio International’s new initiative aimed at women farmers. The new initiative, “Her Farm Radio,” has been developed by Farm Radio International to focus on what women farmers think, say, need, and want to learn.

As a Tanzanian, I was proud to be able to meet my own first lady and to be able to interest her in the work that we do at Farm Radio International here in Tanzania.

Thank you.

About the author
Japhet Emmanuel is the country program director for Farm Radio International in Tanzania. Japhet grew up in a rural community near Mt. Meru in the Arusha Region of Tanzania and has first hand experience of the development challenges faced by small-scale farmers.

Want to learn more?

Get our latest news and stories.

1 Comment

  1. Hamis Bani on July 12, 2013 at 6:56 am

    Hello Japhet,
    Congratulations for being invited in the meeting, the FIRST meeting of the African First Ladies with their guests Michelle Obama and former first lady Laura Bush of the United States of America.

    The special thing of the meeting is where the Farm Radio International able to launch the new initiative known as Her Farm Radio which to me means a lot, that Farm Radio International is now aiming at helping small farmers particularly ladies in Africa.

    Meeting the African first ladies implies that it brings about Top to Down approach sensitization and encouragement to other ladies in the rural areas where the emphases shall be on the recognition the unique role of the small farmers women in Africa.

    The fact is that food security has been for so long ensured by these women small farmers.

    Congratulation again the Program Director for Tanzania, Mr.Japhet Emmanuel and your team in this remarkable event.



Subscribe

Get our latest news and stories.