Melania Trump promotes U.S. agency in visit to Africa
LILONGWE, Malawi— Melania Trump spent Thursday in southern Africa promoting the work of a U.S. international development agency.
Mrs. Trump toured classrooms at Lilongwe’s Chipala Primary School, which gets textbooks and other education assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development.
A batch of 1.4 million books donated Thursday brought to nearly 10 million the total Malawi has received in recent years under USAID’s national reading program, officials said. Malawi’s education minister said the partnership had “significantly” improved student literacy.
“I wanted to be here to see the successful programs that (the) United States is providing the children and thank you for everything you’ve done,” the first lady said at a book donation ceremony in the school library.
She had just finished touring several outdoor classrooms. Chipala has more than 8,500 students but just 77 teachers, for a ratio of 111 students per instructor, according to the U.S. government. With just 22 classrooms, many students are forced to take their lessons outdoors, seated shoulder to shoulder in their uniforms on loose, red dirt.
Mrs. Trump watched several teachers conduct lessons for the equivalent of secondand third-graders.
“Meeting those children and understanding their different way of life is why I wanted to travel here,” Mrs. Trump told U.S. Embassy employees at a gathering at the U.S. ambassador’s residence.