Dear Friends,
I’m thrilled to be taking the opportunity to tell you a little about Concordia’s upcoming 10th Annual Summit and the 2020 Africa Initiative. As a Leadership Council Member, I’m proud of Concordia’s unique work to strengthen partnerships that deepen social impact and that enhance the capacity of communities to reach their potential, and I’m looking forward to helping shape the Africa Initiative.
Over recent months, I’ve been working on a series of programs in Namibia to protect the development of young people, with a particular focus on creating sustainable solutions around education and psychological wellbeing, along with age and gender-appropriate resources for children and their parents. As First Lady of Namibia, I’m always thinking about the ways in which I can use my position to enact meaningful change, particularly in the lives of young people, women, and girls.
I first got involved with Concordia in 2016 as a speaker at the Annual Summit. Since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive the 2018 Leadership Award on behalf of the public sector, and was last year appointed a Leadership Council Member. By providing an international partnership platform through which to elevate African voices and priorities on a global scale, Concordia is playing a critical role in bridging the exceptional talent and opportunity from across the African continent with the capital and long-term investment of a global community. I’m thrilled to announce that the 2020 Africa Initiative will be taking place in a digital capacity from November 16-17 and, crucially, the 10th Annual Summit will provide an international platform through which to kickstart these conversations. I’m looking forward to contributing to discussions around investing in programs for young people to play a pivotal role in the future of our societies—specifically when it comes to economic equality and fair government systems, despite the generational challenges posed by COVID-19.
If any of this resonates with you, I urge you to get involved by emailing Madeline Garnett, Concordia’s Africa Lead, at mgarnett@concordia.net.
Sincerely,
Monica Geingos
First Lady of the Republic of Namibia
Concordia Leadership Council Member
