Namibia’s First Lady to bequeath all her $3 mln wealth to charity

The Namibian first lady has promised to donate all her wealth to charity when she dies.

“I strongly believe that inheritance is one of the biggest drivers of inequality,” First Lady Monica Geingos told Reuters.

Monica Geingos plans to leave her wealth, estimated at $3 million, to her One Economy Foundation.

The foundation currently lends money to entrepreneurs, gives grants to students and supports victims of gender-based violence. Its board members include a security guard and a domestic worker.

After President Hage Geingob was elected to office in 2015, he and the first lady declared their combined assets to be worth about $7.4m.

“I am not available for any executive political function…I am very convinced that you do not need to be a politician to effect change. But I do feel this deep need that I can and I must do more,” she said.

The first lady, who is a lawyer, worked closely with victims of sexual harassment last year when Namibia’s #MeToo movement went viral on social media, with hundreds of women naming and shaming alleged sexual predators.

Ms Geingos, 43, is on a mission to change the image of African first ladies and tackle sexism and inequality in Namibia, which is the second most unequal country on the planet, behind South Africa, according to the World Bank.