Jeannette Nyiramongi Kagame (Jeannette Nyiramongi, born 10 August 1962) is the wife of

Paul Kagame Paul Kagame ( ; born 23 October 1957) is a Rwandan politician and former military officer who has been the President of Rwanda since 2000. He was previously a commander of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel armed force which invaded ...

. She became the

First Lady of Rwanda The First Lady of Rwanda is the official title attributed to the wife of the president of Rwanda. The country's current first lady is Jeannette Kagame, wife of President Paul Kagame, who had held the position since March 24, 2000. First ladies o ...

when her husband took office as

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

in 2000. Kagame is the founder and chairman of Imbuto Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the development of a healthy, educated and prosperous society. Jeannette Kagame returned to her native

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

following the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsis. She has since become devoted to uplifting the lives of vulnerable population in Rwanda, particularly those of widows, orphans and impoverished families. Kagame hosted the first African First Ladies’ Summit on Children and HIV/AIDS Prevention in May 2001 in

Kigali, Rwanda Kigali () is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali is a relatively new city. It has ...

. The summit led to the founding of the PACFA (Protection and Care of Families against HIV/AIDS). an initiative primarily focused on providing a holistic approach to HIV prevention and care for the whole family. Kagame later co-founded the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) in 2002, and served as its president from 2004 until 2006. Over the years, PACFA grew to include projects other than those in the HIV/AIDS domain and in 2007 the Imbuto Foundation - which means “seed” in Kinyarwanda - was established. The Foundation implements various projects such as: extending basic care and economic support to HIV affected families; enhancing knowledge and changing attitudes towards adolescent sexual and reproductive health; protecting youth against HIV/AIDS; malaria prevention; motivating girls to excel in school; providing scholarships to disadvantaged youth; promoting a reading culture; mentoring and equipping youth with entrepreneurial and leadership skills. The First Lady is also a

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

of the

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Virunga, based in

Kigali Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali is a relativ ...

, which established the first

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in Rwanda in 2012. Mrs. Kagame is also a member of the board of directors for several organizations, including the Global Coalition of Women against HIV/AIDS and the Friends of the Global Fund Africa. In 2010, Kagame received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from

Oklahoma Christian University Oklahoma Christian University (OC) is a private Christian university in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1950 by members of the Churches of Christ. History Oklahoma Christian University, originally named Central Christian College, ...

for her contribution to the worldwide fight against HIV/AIDS and poverty. In the same year, she was appointed Special Representative on Child Nutrition by the World Food Program (WFP). In 2009,

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

presented the Children’s Champions Award to President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame in recognition of their efforts at improving the lives of children in

. In 2007,

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

(WHO) appointed her the High Representative of the Africa AIDS Vaccine Program (AAVP), to ensure the active participation of African stakeholders in all areas of HIV and AIDS vaccine research and development. In December 2018, Kagame was named

UNAIDS The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS; , ONUSIDA) is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The mission of UNAIDS is to lead, strengthen and support an ex ...

Special Ambassador of Adolescent Health and Well Being. Kagame holds a degree in Business and Management.

References

External links

University of the Pacific: About Madame Jeannette Kagame

Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD): H.E. Mrs. Jeannette Kagame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kagame, Jeannette 1962 births First ladies of Rwanda Rwandan activists Rwandan women activists HIV/AIDS activists Living people Tutsi people People from Ngozi, Burundi Tutsi women