First Lady of Cape Verde Islands, Mrs. Adelcia Pires, visiting Georgia State University
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was pleased to welcome the First Lady of Cape Verde Islands, Mrs. Adelcia Pires.

A lecture followed by a question and answer session was held on Wednesday, September 21, 2005, at 1:30 pm in Seminar Room 749.

Born and raised in Cape Verde, First Lady Pires enlisted with African Party for Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) in 1974 and was stationed in Bolama, Guinea, where she worked in schools of liberated areas and controlled by PAIGC. She first served as a teacher and later was appointed as Director of Operations for early childhood development.

Continuing with her involvement with children, she assumed presidency of a children's organization that promoted youth development in 1976; after the 1990 election she returned to being a teacher once again. After becoming First Lady in 2001, she rededicated her life towards children's causes and introduced Fundação Infancia Feliz (Foundation Happy Children) as a non-profit and humanitarian organization to serve the needs of underprivileged children of Cape Verde.

First Lady Pires is visiting the U.S. on behalf of the nonprofit organization Building the Bridge: Cape Verde Care Agency to raise awareness of both her country and the plight of its children. She will be visiting elementary and high schools and universities and meeting with community leaders during her stay.