As previously reported, Vice President Kamala Harris is currently spending time on the Mother Continent for an official weeklong visit. The first leg of the journey landed her in Ghana, where she met with President Akufo-Addo to discuss a range of global and regional issues. Next, Harris will spend time in Lusaka, Zambia to further strengthen the US’s ties with the country.
According to The White House, “The Vice President will meet with Zambia’s President Hichilema on Friday, March 31, 2023, in Lusaka. This will be their third engagement—they met in Washington in September 2021 and at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December 2022. They will discuss strengthening the U.S.-Zambia partnership across a range of areas and will discuss regional and global issues.”
A key initiative that will be unveiled during her Zambia stop is a push for the private sector to promote and enhance climate resilience, adaptation and migration across Africa. To help further these efforts, the VP will announce 27 private sector and philanthropic commitments to support farmers, climate-smart agriculture, sustainability, clean energy, and clean transportation.
“These new investments and initiatives will generate significant economic benefits while addressing African nations’ pressing needs
resulting from the climate crisis, including food security challenges, by helping to lift-up over 116 million farmers and promote climate-smart agriculture,” The White House shares in a statement to EBONY.
During her speech to a crowd in Accra, Ghana, Harris spoke of her personal ties to Zambia as she looked ahead to the visit.
“In addition, this continent has a personal meaning for me because my grandfather and other members of my family worked in Zambia in the 1960s alongside a newly independent people. I was fortunate enough to visit them in Zambia as a young girl,” Vice President Kamala Harris says. “The values that guided my relatives when they were there, and the legacy of their efforts, remain a source of pride for my entire family and continue to animate my work today.”
