Therese Zeba, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Resident Representative, bid farewell to First Lady Jeannette Kagame on Tuesday, ending a-two-anda-half year tenure as the head of the agency in Rwanda.

Mrs Kagame appreciated Zeba for the excellent collaboration between Imbuto Foundation and UNFPA and for having played a leading role to align her agency’s assistance to national goals.

She commended her for the partnership that exist between UN family and Imbuto foundation. The First Lady wished her success as she takes new responsibilities.

Imbuto Foundation is a programme initiated by the First Lady mainly aimed at empowering the youth to transform them into better leaders of tomorrow.

UNFPA is one of the organisations that partner with the foundation in the realisation of the Youth Forum series, the prevention of maternal deaths through high level advocacy and policy dialogue such as the White Ribbon Alliance for safe Motherhood.

"I have enjoyed working in Rwanda because of the enabling environment created by the country’s leaders through their vision, commitment to population issues and good governance in bringing the social and economic development to the people they lead,” said  Zeba, adding that she learnt a lot from the Rwandan leadership.

UNFPA is supporting the government of Rwanda’s effort in reducing maternal deaths, promoting rights for young people, sexual and reproductive health, population and development issues as well as gender mainstreaming and women empowerment.

Zeba, thanked the First Lady for her availability and support to all the programme that were undertaken by UNFPA.

The outgoing Resident Representative is reassigned as UNFPA Resident Representative in the Central African Republic.

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