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

Jill Biden effortlessly wrapped up her two-day visit to Namibia, climbing the steps to board her plane for Kenya on Friday without incident.

The First Lady is in the middle of a whirlwind tour of Namibia and Kenya as the US representative to speak on issues of freedom, democracy and empowerment.

Two days after her husband tripped climbing 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 the crowd after a successful stay.

This morning, Jill Biden received standing ovations from students at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, where she stressed the importance of “building on the foundations of democracy by raising the voices that have not been heard.”

He said Namibia’s growing multi-party democracy inspired his visit, and he will visit Kenya as it battles its worst drought in 40 years to assess the situation and participate in discussion on measures to curb gender-based violence and protect children’s rights in the region.

First Lady Jill Biden waves as she leaves an airport in Windhoek, Namibia, today.

US First Lady Jill Biden leaves an airport in Windhoek, Namibia on February 24, 2023.

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

His five-day tour of Namibia and Kenya, which comes when Russia and China are perceived to Intensifying the efforts of African nations, it was an opportunity for the First Lady to tell the ‘first generation to be born in a Free Namibia’ their role in ‘defending and protecting’ their democracy.

He 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 becoming leaders when we hear the call.”

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

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

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

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

South Africa held out when European powers granted independence to many of its former colonies in Africa during the 1960s, which came to a head in 1966 with guerrilla attacks on South African forces.

In the 1970s, Namibia experienced general strikes and further 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 continue to defend and strengthen our democracy, nearly 250 years after our founding.”

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

Then, he made his way around the quad in a way he rarely does, shaking hands and taking selfies with dozens of excited students.

The emotional speech referred to the ‘legacy created by (students’) parents and grandparents’, a sensitive comment and politically in tune with a nation that recently gained independence from oppressive colonial rule.

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

Rising unemployment and high debt levels have caused the country to try to drastically develop its institutions and seek changes at the national level such as land reform.

Heading for East Africa today to visit Kenya in the midst of a severe droughtBiden is expected to speak on a variety of topics, taking stock of 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, weather-related disasters, and regional conflicts have increased the pressure on the country.

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

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

US First Lady Jill Biden addresses students during her visit to the Namibia University of Science and Technology, in Windhoek, Namibia, on February 24, 2023.

Students listen as US First Lady Jill Biden (not pictured) speaks during her visit to the Namibia University of Science and Technology, in Windhoek, Namibia, on February 24, 2023.

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

He also made a surprise trip to kyiv on Monday after warning Russia and vowed to support Ukraine for as long as it takes, pledging $500 million worth of military aid.

The president left Poland from Warsaw Chopin Airport on Wednesday, February 22.