Jill bounds up aircraft steps and shows Joe how it's done as she departs Nambia after two-day visit

By Patrick Rainwater Last updated Feb 24, 2023

Jill Biden effortlessly concluded her two-day visit to Namibia, scaling the steps to board her jet to Kenya on Friday without incident.

The First Lady is halfway through a whistle-stop tour of Africa to speak on issues of freedom, democracy and empowerment.

Two days after her husband stumbled up the steps of his plane out of Poland, the third time he has been filmed slipping while trying to board Air Force One, FLOTUS was seen waving to crowds following a successful stay.

Jill Biden earlier this morning received standing ovations from students at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, where she stressed the importance of ‘building on the foundation of democracy by lifting up those voices that have gone unheard.’

She said Namibia’s growing multi-party democracy inspired her visit, and will also visit Kenya as it battles its worst drought in 40 years to assess the situation and to engage in discussion around measures to curb gender-based violence and protect the rights of children in the region.

First lady Jill Biden waves as she departs from an airport in Windhoek, Namibia, today

U.S. first lady Jill Biden departs from an airport in Windhoek, Namibia, February 24, 2023

After a two-day visit to Namibia, FLOTUS will travel north to Kenya for another two days

Her five-day tour of Namibia and Kenya, which comes as Russia and China are perceived to be stepping up attempts to woo African nations, was an opportunity for the First Lady to talk to the ‘first generation to be born into a Free Namibia’ about their role in ‘defending and protecting’ their democracy.

She said those foundations must be built ‘by exercising our right to disagree and dissent, speaking up when we see injustice, and supporting leaders who listen to our concerns, and by becoming leaders when we hear the call.’

What was the background to Biden’s visit to Namibia?

A former German colony, South Africa inherited a mandate to administer the area now known as Namibia after Germany’s defeat in World War One.

The region suffered under the rule of a South African government that sought to incorporate then-South West Africa into its territory.

The country officially adopted the system of apartheid, segregating people by race and marginalizing non-white populations.

South Africa resisted as European powers granted independence to many of their former colonies in Africa during the 1960s, which came to a head in 1966 with guerilla attacks mounted against South African forces.

Into the 1970s, Namibia experienced general strikes and more clashes between ‘rebels’ and the ruling administration.

The country finally marked its independence from South Africa in 1990.

The first lady noted that, in the United States, ‘we are still defending and strengthening our democracy, almost 250 years after our founding.’

‘Democracy isn’t easy. It takes work,’ she said during the rousing, rally-style speech. ‘But it’s worth it, because democracy delivers.’

Afterward, she worked her way around the courtyard in a way that she rarely does, shaking hands and taking selfies with scores of excited students.

The moving speech touched on the ‘legacy that [the students’] parents and grandparents created’, a sensitive and politically attuned remark to a nation only recently independent from oppressive colonial rule.

Since declaring independence in 1990 and overcoming the South African administration of apartheid, the country has faced a number of challenges including poverty, inequality and HIV/AIDS.

Rising unemployment and high debt levels have seen the country try to drastically develop its institutions and seek nationwide changes like land reform.

Heading today to East Africa to visit Kenya in the midst of a severe drought, Biden is expected to speak on a range of issues, assessing the situation and discussing the empowerment and protection of women and children.

Many millions are suffering due to the failure of four consecutive rainy seasons in Sub-Saharan Africa.

High inflation, climate-related disasters and regional conflicts have put added strain on the country.

The social effects of the hunger crisis include higher rates of child marriage, school drop outs and infighting, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Biden’s visit to speak on these issues comes at a vital time for the country.

U.S. first lady Jill Biden addresses students during her visit to the Namibia University of Science and Technology, in Windhoek, Namibia, February 24, 2023

Students listen as U.S. first lady Jill Biden (not pictured) speaks during her visit to the Namibia University of Science and Technology, in Windhoek, Namibia, February 24, 2023

President Biden was in Poland this week ahead of the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

He also made a surprise trip to Kyiv on Monday after warning Russia, and promised to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, pledging military aid worth $500mn.

The President departed Poland from Warsaw’s Chopin Airport on Wednesday 22 February.

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