“The First Lady Is Exclusively Concerned With Humanitarian Works”

As a close collaborator to the First Lady, Chantal Biya, what can you say about her engagements in the running of the association, African Synergy against AIDS and Suffering?

Is it purely a humanitarian commitment or political as some media organs are saying? Members of African Synergy against AIDS and Suffering are wives of Head of States. What they do within African Synergy is totally and exclusively a humanitarian work and that was their aim when creating the association. We should recall that the basic aim in the creation of African Synergy was for African First Ladies to contribute and play their own role within the fight against HIV/AIDS. There is no political role played in this fight even though they are wives of Head of States. The illusion of certain media houses about the political actions of the First Lady is out of place. It is not only out of place but it is unfounded and really unjustified. The authors of such allegations are not concern with the truth but with something else. They seem to want to discourage the First Lady of Cameroon which is inacceptable. I do not think these allegations will be sufficient to discourage the First Lady from her acti vities which are purely humanitarian. Such media stories have nothing to do with the situation which is that the First Lady of Cameroon is exclusively concerned with humanitarian works.

How is the First Lady’s engagement manifested in the daily running of the association?

The First Lady gives instructions on the priority plan they have decided to work on. Firstly we work in the prevention of HIV/AIDS, the transmission of HIV from mother to child, fight against maternal and infant mortality and help African children in distress in order to give them possibilities to hope for a better life. It is for all these reasons that the Chantal Biya Foundation (CBF) has a section known as the Children First Centre which mainly takes care of orphan children and those abandoned. When the First Lady gives instructions, it is our duty to implement them. We have the duty to carry out the daily activities of the association which are purely humanitarian. Our initial objective is a moral concern, to show the international communities how First Ladies are concern with anything and diseases that could impact negatively the welfare of populations. Each First Lady has themes which help her in implementing the humanitarian objectives of the association. All this is carried out within the national strategy of the different countries involved with the different First Ladies being actors in the implementation process. Mrs Chantal Biya’s leadership role at Africa Synergy does not in any way re-orientate the original objectives of the association. She is a...