BUJUMBURA, July 2nd (ABP) – The First Lady of Burundi, Mrs. Angéline Ndayishimiye, on Friday 28 June received in audience the Ambassadors of Finland and Turkey to Burundi, Mrs Theresa Zitting and Mr Alp ISIKLI respectively.
On leaving the audience, the Executive Secretary of the Office of the First Lady for Development in Burundi (OPDD-Burundi), Dr. Thaddée Ndikumana, said that the discussions between Mrs Ndayishimiye and Mrs Zitting focused on activities related to school canteens, adding that the First Lady of Burundi is the focal point of the Global Coalition of School Canteens and that she is the patron of school canteens in Burundi.
The Finnish Ambassador to Burundi, based in Dar-es-Salam, highlighted the achievements of school canteens, pointing out that in the country she represents, school feeding is a matter of law. For her part, the
First Lady of Burundi said that since the introduction of school canteens in Burundi, the dropout rate has dropped significantly.
School canteens are good for children because they prevent them from coming and going during breaks. They also build cohesion among the children,” she explained, stressing that even children who do not have the means to feed themselves benefit and share with those who do.
According to Dr Ndikumana, the two personalities agreed that they would soon try to perfect the relationship between the Umugiraneza Good Action Foundation and the OPDD to find ways and means of exchanging experiences. Finland, through UNFPA, will provide support to continue the treatment and care of women with obstetric fistula who are being treated at Gitega Hospital thanks to the support of the Umugiraneza Good Action Foundation.
The meeting between the Turkish Ambassador to Burundi and the First Lady of Burundi focused on a delegation of Turkish dentists who will be making a working visit in July as part of cooperation in the health sector.
These visits will take place at the Prince Régent Charles Hospital and the Umugiraneza Clinic, where Turkish and Burundian doctors will exchange experiences.
The Executive Secretary of OPDD said that the First Lady had welcomed this initiative, explaining that it would be an opportunity for Burundi to have many dentists, as it currently has few. As to how long these Turkish dentists will stay in Burundi and how they will treat people with dental problems, Dr Ndikumana said that a dialogue will be organised between OPDD-Burundi, the Ministry of Public Health and the Turkish Embassy in Burundi. The conclusions of this dialogue will be communicated.