First lady visits Africa in first solo trip abroad

Melania Trump kicked off her first solo international trip as first lady with a visit to a children’s hospital in Ghana. Trump arrived in Accra, the capital of the West African nation, on Tuesday morning and toured the city’s Ridge Hospital along with Ghanaian first lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo, distributing teddy bears and observing health workers weighing babies as part of a nutrition program.

Trump’s five-day tour to five African nations will focus primarily on children, which is in line with her Be Best initiative and its aim to combat cyberbullying and promote healthy living worldwide. In a statement before leaving the United States, the first lady noted she will look into how the U.S. Agency for International Development can continue to help out in Malawi. She also highlighted the agency’s programs in Kenya, including early childhood education, wildlife conservation, and HIV prevention. On her final stop in Egypt, Trump said she will focus on tourism and conservation projects.