Today’s schedule:
- Meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu at Legacy Foundation
- The Duchess of Sussex visits Woodstock Exchange, a women founders/social entrepreneurs event, and speaks with 12 inspiring female entrepreneurs
- The Duchess of Sussex visits the African not-for-profit organisation ‘mothers2mothers’
Desmond Tutu at Legacy Foundation
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.
Via Sussex Royal Instagram:
Via Royal Family Channel:
From Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation:
“Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a South African Anglican cleric who became one of the central leaders of the global peace movement. An outspoken defender of human rights and campaigner for the oppressed, Desmond Tutu’s eloquent advocacy and brave leadership lead to the end of South African apartheid in 1993 and the installation of Nelson Mandela as the nation’s first black President. The Archbishop has dedicated his life to reshaping conversations about peace, equality and forgiveness. In 1984, Tutu earned the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts as a global peace maker and now devotes his time with the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation and the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation to teaching youth the powerful role and voice they play in creating a more compassionate and peaceful world.
Since the demise of apartheid, Desmond Tutu has been active in the defense of human rights and uses his high profile to campaign for the oppressed. He has campaigned to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, poverty,racism, sexism, the imprisonment of Chelsea Manning, homophobia and transphobia. He received the Nobel Peace Prizein 1984; the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism in 1986; the Pacem in Terris Award in 1987; the Sydney Peace Prize in 1999; the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2007; and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. He has also authored several books including the Book of Forgiving which he co-wrote with his daughter, the Reverend Mpho Tutu, and the forthcoming Book of Joy which he is co-authoring with his friend the Dalai Lama.”
Prince Harry and the Archbishop have a vested interest in campaigning to fight HIV/AIDS, this disease which has plagued South Africa for many years.
What a treat we all had today, seeing our beloved Archie with his Parents.
Ladies Who Launch
After the morning tea with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter Thandeka, Duchess Meghan went to join 12 female entrepreneurs to learn about how Ladies who Launch (#ladieswholaunch) get-togethers and meetings support and inspire them. Their aim is to “ignite the opportunity” through network building between aspiring and successful women and role models in business.
The Duchess was met and escorted by the Tech Hub director Shirley Gilbey.
From Ladies Who Launch website:
“Our mission is to celebrate and empower women entrepreneurs on Main Street versus Wall Street. We’re taking the movement on the road to foster conversations within local communities so women business owners have the connections to support each other as they follow their passions and launch their businesses.”
Ladies Who Launch was started by Sarah Friar and Kelly McGonigle. Their mission was to celebrate and empower women entrepreneurs with an Innovative Program That Helps women “Get Your Dreams Off the Ground”. The Duchess, joined a circle of women entrepreneurs where they shared their experiences, amidst laughter.
Mothers2Mothers
The Duchess then went on to her second solo engagement of the day, she visited mothers2mothers (m2m), an African not-for-profit that trains and employs women living with HIV as frontline health workers across eight African nations.
From mothers2mothers website:
“mothers2mothers (m2m) is bolstering African healthcare systems, while delivering empowerment opportunities for women. We train and employ women living with HIV as community health workers. These “Mentor Mothers” work in local communities and at understaffed health facilities to ensure that women and their families get the health advice and medication they need, are linked to the right clinical services, and are supported on their treatment journey.
The employment enables Mentor Mothers to gain financial security for themselves and their families. By virtue of being professionalised, Mentor Mothers become role models, putting a face to empowered, strong, and healthy HIV-positive women, and thereby helping to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination.”
During her interaction with a group of mothers, The Duchess sat on a play mat and invited the mothers to join her. Duchess Meghan also shared that “she is living her best life” and I couldn’t agree more. She looked so natural and at home at both events today. During the group photoshoot, Duchess Meghan showed a sample of the baby clothes and gifts she brought for the mothers.
Duchess Meghan was presented with flowers and shared this group hug. The youngest of the girls who handed her the flowers and got a lovely hug got so emotional she cried.
Over these past three days, I have come to appreciate Duchess Meghan more. Living under such scrutiny, daily negative news, hatred and loud noise, she has shown such character, poise, strength and dignity. It cannot be easy to be constantly analysed by people who do not know you but judge you by their own yardstick, whatever that may be, but come out smiling and getting on with things, for me, that is an attribute that makes me admire her more.
