Peace Islands Institute was pleased to host H.E Therese Olenga Kalonda, Minister of Education, Environment, Communication and Gender of the Democratic Republic of Congo for a dinner on March 12, 2015. The dinner was mutually beneficial, as her Excellency gave us insight into the workings of her ministry in promoting education in the Democratic Republic of Congo. H.E. Therese Olenga Kalonda was accompanied by Ms. Jacqueline Penge Sanganyoi, Administrator and Head of Department of Logistics, and Ms. Marilyn Yema, Assistant to the Governor of the city of Kinshasa.
Mr. Mehmet Kilic, Ms. Therese Olenga K. and Ms Jacqueline Penge S. |
During the dinner, Mr. Mehmet Kilic, the Director of the Center for Global Affairs at Peace Islands Institute, New York, offered information about several of our programs that foster peace building, such as the Ambassadors Series and the Young Peace Ambassadors Academy. Another topic of discussion was the influence of Turkish NGOs and schools. Mr. Savas Metin, Secretary-General of Kimse Yok Mu, an international non-profit humanitarian aid and development organization based in Turkey that is actively involved in humanitarian relief in over 113 countries worldwide, gave information about some of the projects they are involved in different countries in Africa.
Her Excellency acclaimed the importance of Turkish schools in supporting education and development by providing an environment for learning and promoting pluralism, multiculturalism and diversity. Before completing her visit to the US, the minister accepted an offer to visit Brooklyn Amity School.
We were honored to host a guest as distinguished as Minister Therese Olenga Kalonda, who shares the principles of unity, education, welfare, and progress, and look forward to further cooperation with H.E. and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Jacqueline PENGE SANGANYOI