Mrs Sylvia Bongo enlisted into the Pan-African NGO.
August 30, 2010 will remain an unforgettable day in the existence of the Pan-African NGO, African Synergy against AIDS and Suffering. On a friendly visit to Cameroon, the First Lady of Gabon, Mrs Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, did not only enjoy the dynamic, hospitable and generous nature of the country, but went ahead to enrol in the African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering. The event took place at the organisation’s headquarters in the Melen neighbourhood in Yaounde under the watchful eyes of its Founding President, Mrs Chantal Biya, who is also the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Education and Social Inclusion. Mrs Sylvia Bongo Ondimba questioned how anyone could remain indifferent to the destruction caused by HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in Sub-Sahara Africa or how could it be normal to see many children dying and women who continue to die due to pregnancy complications or child birth. With her membership status into African Synergy, which brings the association’s total number to 27 African First Ladies, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba says she will effectively contribute in fighting epidemics on the African continent.
While congratulating Mrs Biya for the wise initiative in creating African Synergy, Gabon’s First Lady said everybody has a role to play in the face of the magnitude and complexity of the challenges ahead. “It is only together that we can realise projects for the benefit of our families, communities and countries”, Sylvia Bongo underscored. Back in Gabon, Sylvia Bongo is focused on five main domains: health, youth, women, culture and other social aspects. Before Sylvia Bongo Ondimba made a guided tour of African Synergy offices, the Executive Secretary of the association, Jean-Stéphane Biatcha in the presence of the Deputy Executive Secretary of the outfit, Rapkatou Dikissi from Niger and the Adviser Bintou Bamba Bangoura from the Republic of Guinea, presented a succinct report of the activities covered by African Synergy since its creation on November 12, 2002 in Yaounde at the initiative of Chantal Biya and in the presence of 17 African First Ladies or representatives.
With goals to mobilise African societies and the international community to fight against pandemics and other scourges, African Synergy so far has organised several conferences with special programmes on HIV prevention, assistance to orphans and vulnerable children living with HIV, the promotion of health as well as the fight against transmissible diseases. However, Jean Stéphane Biatcha said when millions of Africans continue to die due to different causes; when African children become more poor and vulnerable; when malaria continues to kill African children every 30 seconds; when people cannot prevent the spread of the HIV virus; the tasks of African First Ladies will not be considered completed. Consequently, African First Ladies invite everybody to join in the fight that they are spearheading.
