Ivanka Trump embarked on a four-day tour throughout Africa to jumpstart female empowerment ideas and programs for the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP).
The overall goal of W-GDP, launched by President Donald Trump in February, is to encourage global economic success for 50 million female entrepreneurs and business owners by 2025.
And the President’s eldest daughter had a busy itinerary! On her first day, she visited with businesswomen in the Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, coffee industry to discuss their vocational experiences in the country. At the end of the meeting, the fashion designer pledged a $260,000 loan to help Azalech Coffee Roasting, Grinding and Packaging expand. Afterwards, she met with a female-led textile and handicrafts company and awarded it with a W-GDP letter of interest for financing with Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC).
On the second day, Ivanka paid respects to the victims of Ethiopian Airlines 302 crash that happened in March, and met with the country’s religious leaders. She also commended President Sahle-Work Zewde, the first female president of Ethiopia and the only female head of state in the continent.
Additionally, the former Apprentice judge launched W-GDP initiative OPIC 2X Africa, which will invest $350 million to “support women-owned, women-led, and women-supporting projects in Sub-Saharan Africa,” according to a press release.
The White House advisor spent her final two days in Cote d’Ivoire, where she visited with U.S. Embassy staff and Vice President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire Daniel Kablan Duncan. On her final day, she met female cocoa farmers and entrepreneurs in Adzope and announced a partnership through the W-GDP fund and the World Cocoa Foundation for $2 million in order to help women workers of the cocoa industry.
