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Morocco’s Princess Lalla Asmae, First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire launch 2nd Phase of ‘United, We Hear Each Other Better’ Operation
Morocco’s Princess Lalla Asmae, Chairwoman of the Lalla Asmae Foundation, and First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Mrs. Dominique Ouattara, President of the Children of Africa Foundation, chaired on Wednesday at the Mother and Child Hospital in Abidjan, the launch ceremony of the second phase of the “United, we hear each other better” operation, which aims to restore hearing to disadvantaged African children.
The ceremony marks the beginning of a significant partnership between the two foundations, which goes well beyond a simple collaboration, embodying a sincere promise to offer the gift of hearing to those who have been deprived of it.
According to the Moroccan news agency, MAP, the ceremony marks the beginning of a significant partnership between the Lalla Asmae Foundation and the Children of Africa Foundation, which goes well beyond a simple collaboration, embodying a sincere promise to offer the gift of hearing to those who have been deprived of it.
On their arrival at the Mother and Child Hospital in Abidjan, HRH Princess Lalla Asmae and the First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire were greeted by Kandia Kamissoko Camara, Ivorian Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Diaspora, Pierre Dimba, Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage and Myss Belmonde Dogo, Minister of Solidarity and the Fight against Poverty, as well as Khalid Ait Taleb, Minister of Health and Social Protection, and Aawatif Hayar, Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and the Family.
HRH Princess Lalla Asmae and Dominique Ouattara then visited the children who benefited from the cochlear implant operation, from Mali, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Burkina-Faso.
Her Royal Highness and the First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire also visited the operating theatre, where the surgical microscope and micromotor donated by the Lalla Asmae Foundation to the Children of Africa Foundation are installed.
On this occasion, HRH Princess Lalla Asmae symbolically presented Dominique Ouattara with a prototype cochlear implant.
During the first phase the “United, we hear each other better” operation, organized in October 2022, some 35 children from several West African countries made the journey to Morocco to receive cochlear implants.
At the heart of this campaign is the Lalla Asmae Foundation’s commitment to provide 100 cochlear implants to the Children of Africa Foundation. These small medical devices will open up a world of possibilities for deaf children, enabling them to communicate, learn and thrive.
The Lalla Asmae Foundation is also committed to sharing essential knowledge and expertise by transferring surgical techniques between Moroccan and Ivorian professionals. A state-of-the-art operating theatre will be equipped by the Foundation at the Mother and Child Hospital to guarantee the precision and quality of surgical interventions.
In her speech, Dominique Ouattara, First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire and President of the Children of Africa Foundation, said that this new collaboration between the two Foundations testified to “our shared commitment to improving the health of our children.”
Renewing her sincere thanks and gratitude to HRH Princess Lalla Asmae for the implementation of this program, Ouattara expressed her deep appreciation and gratitude to King Mohammed VI for His humanistic vision and the solidarity shown by the Sovereign towards the children of Africa, as well as for His important contribution to the construction of the Mother and Child Hospital in Bingerville, which has been providing enormous services to the Ivorian population for the past five years.
In his remarks, Karim Essakalli, coordinator of the Lalla Asmae Foundation, emphasized that Morocco, with its African roots and consistent commitment to the progress of Africa, has always made South-South cooperation a strategic choice.
This choice is driven by the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and is based on a comprehensive and balanced vision for the development of the African continent.
He added that the Lalla Asmae Foundation wishes to align itself with this Royal Vision by launching the “United, We Hear Each Other Better” program.
Essakalli highlighted the crucial importance of this initiative, emphasizing the transformative power of hearing in individuals’ lives. He noted that this collaboration transcends borders, covering various regions of Africa, from Côte d’Ivoire to Kenya, through Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, and Togo.
Speaking on this occasion, Aït Taleb highlighted the fruitful collaboration between Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire in the field of healthcare.
He stressed that this strong cooperation is in line with the sustainability goals, supporting the common vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and President Alassane Ouattara for the development and well-being of both countries.
He further stated that the Ministry, under the auspices of the Lalla Asmae Foundation, is more than ever ready to consolidate and strengthen this cooperation in the field of healthcare.
Particularly, he emphasized the importance of neonatal deafness screening as an essential tool for early detection, which can contribute to improving the social and academic development of children, reducing healthcare costs, and providing parents with peace of mind.
His Ivorian counterpart, Pierre Dimba, also pointed out that this significant operation will provide assistance to hearing-impaired children, applauding the commendable efforts made by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Asmae to support this segment of society.
“At the end of this program, we are convinced that thanks to the actions that will be taken, a strong partnership will be forged in this field,” he emphasized, noting that this partnership serves as great motivation for the Ivorian Ministry of Health in its quest to improve the quality of its services and offerings.
Vincent Alexis Gomes, former international director of Lions Clubs International, one of the program’s partners, expressed appreciation for the various social actions carried out by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Asmae in the social domain and her unwavering commitment to hearing-impaired children.
The ceremony featured a scientific presentation on cochlear implantation by Professor Abdelaziz Raji, Head of the ENT Department at the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech and a member of the scientific committee of the “United, We Hear Each Other Better” program.
It also included a program presentation by Karim Essakalli, coordinator of the Lalla Asmae Foundation.
On this occasion, Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Asmae and Dominique Ouattara presided over the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement between the Lalla Asmae Foundation and the Children of Africa Foundation.
The agreement was signed by El Abbès Bouhlal, Director of the Lalla Asmae Foundation, and Nadine Sangaré, National Director of the Children of Africa Foundation.
After the ceremony, Princess Lalla Asmae and the First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Dominique Ouattara, posed for a commemorative photo.
The partnership between the Lalla Asmae Foundation and the Children of Africa Foundation goes beyond medical procedures. It aims to touch lives, create smiles, and fulfill dreams.
Each child assisted by this initiative is a testament to the collective effort to build a more inclusive, caring, and better world.
Princess Lalla Asmae brings a motivating vision to the “United, We Hear Each Other Better” campaign, where commitment to the cause of children with severe or profound hearing loss translates into concrete actions.
As an emblematic and dedicated figure in the promotion of children’s well-being, Her Royal Highness embodies a source of inspiration for all those advocating for a better future for African children.
The First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire, Dominique Ouattara, known for her leadership and unwavering commitment to children’s well-being, has consistently shown her determination to ensure that every child, whether Ivorian or of another nationality, can benefit from clear hearing and the opportunities it brings.
She has been involved for over 25 years in protecting vulnerable children through the Children of Africa Foundation, which has undertaken numerous charitable actions for the well-being of children in Côte d’Ivoire and 12 other African countries through the centers it supports
UEFA appears poised for an emergency vote on suspending Israel from European competition next week, with national federations scrambling to position themselves amid mounting political pressure following calls for action.
The brewing crisis intensified this week when United Nations experts called for Israel’s suspension from international football amid the unfolding genocide in occupied Palestinian territory.
A source confirmed that Europe’s soccer body could potentially decide next week to vote on whether to suspend Israel from European competition.
Should UEFA vote to ban Israel, it would put the organisation on a collision course with the government of the United States — co-hosts for the 2026 World Cup — which is vehemently against such a motion.
“We will absolutely work to fully stop any effort to attempt to ban Israel’s national soccer team from the World Cup,” a spokesperson for the U.S. state department told Sky News.
But even though UEFA has the power to suspend Israel or its clubs from their competitions, it may not be able to stop them from competing in World Cup qualifiers, which fall under the ambit of global soccer body FIFA.
The general secretaries of all UEFA national associations are meeting this week in Marbella, where Israel is not officially on the agenda, but officials expect UEFA to call an emergency vote next week.
FIFA did not respond to a Reuters request for comment while UEFA declined to comment.
Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub said Israelis should not be allowed to participate in any matches, whether they are under UEFA or FIFA.
“Israel has violated the principles, values and FIFA’s statutes. Therefore, I believe that Israel should be sanctioned,” Rajoub told TV2.
“The sanctions should come from UEFA and FIFA.”
WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Israel’s national team are set to face Norway and Italy, the top two teams in their World Cup qualifying group, next month.
“We don’t have any indications that we are facing such an act (UEFA suspension),” a spokesperson for the Israel Football Association told Reuters.
“We are focusing on our international matches against Norway and Italy.”
Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) is one of the member associations that have been the driving force behind calling for a meeting on the Israel situation. The NFF declined to comment.
Lise Klaveness, the president of the NFF and a member of the UEFA Executive Committee, has also been vocal about the crisis in Gaza ahead of her country’s home game against Israel on October 11.
“Neither we nor other organisations can remain indifferent to the humanitarian suffering and disproportionate attacks that the civilian population in Gaza has been subjected to for a long time,” Klaveness said in a statement last month.
“We want to donate the proceeds (from the game) to a humanitarian organisation that saves lives in Gaza every day and provides active emergency aid on the ground.”
The Dutch football federation (KNVB) said it knows nothing about a vote to suspend Israel.
“As soon as the football association receives a message about this, it will take a position,” the KNVB told Dutch outlet NOS.
Last week, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel should be banned from international sports competitions. However, officials from the Spanish FA (RFEF) have kept a low profile on the matter.
Israel maintains that its war is not against the population of Gaza but against the Hamas militant group whose fighters led the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, and precipitated the war.
The subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 65,000 people, according to local health officials.
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A hat-trick from George Agha and a sublime free-kick goal from David Edeh ensured a comfortable start for five-time world champions Nigeria in the WAFU-B U17 Championship, as the Golden Eaglets routed Baby Cheetahs of Benin Republic 4 -1 in Yamoussoukro on Wednesday.
Agha converted from the spot three minutes into the game after Boluwatife Thompson was hacked inside the box.
Edeh displayed fantastic football artistry to score from a free-kick in the 5th minute of the encounter.
The Eaglets were in cruise control as Agha bagged his brace in the 14th minute. The charges of Manu Garba were very dominant with a three-goal advantage.
Warris Soumanou in goal for Benin Republic was caught napping and his error of judgement gave the Eaglets another goal after a beautiful exchange of passes and dribbles between Thompson and Edeh, which set up Agha for his hat-trick in the 32nd minute.
It was raining goals and it was the turn of the Beninoise in the 45th minute, as a low drive from Jeremy Zannou gave the Baby Cheetahs a consolation goal.
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Mohamed Salah’s dramatic stoppage-time penalty ensured Liverpool maintained their winning start to the Premier League season with a 1-0 victory at promoted side Burnley on Sunday.
With British record signing Alexander Isak forced to wait for his Liverpool debut having been left out the squad for the trip to Lancashire, the champions struggled to break down a dogged home side in the first half.
After a regroup at the break, the visitors upped the ante in the second half, with Dominik Szoboszlai finally forcing a fine save from Martin Dubravka in the Burnley goal.
Burnley were holding on for a well-earned point with ease, before the ball agonisingly struck substitute Hannibal Mejbri’s arm in the penalty area and Salah slotted the spot kick into the net in the 95th minute to break home hearts.
Liverpool are still to really get going this season, requiring a winner in the last 10 minutes of all four of their league victories so far. The goal that clinched an undeserved success at Turf Moor was certainly the most fortunate.
After one of the longest transfer sagas in Premier League history finally reached its expected conclusion, Liverpool supporters were forced to wait two weeks for their first glimpse of their 125-million-pound ($169.45-million) goal machine due to the international break.
While coach Arne Slot said this week that Isak would have to be utilised carefully due to his previous injuries and lack of action so far this season, the Swede was still expected to at least be on the bench at Turf Moor.
The wait goes on as, without their expensive new forward, Liverpool mustered just one shot on target in the first half, from left-back Andrew Robertson.
Burnley, who conceded the fewest goals in English football league history last term to earn them promotion, otherwise frustrated the champions with ease. Even Lesley Ugochukwu’s red card for two bookings in the 84th minute did not seem to fluster them.
Even without Isak, Liverpool still had much attacking talent on the Turf Moor pitch but they just could not find that killer pass.
Salah was especially below par but he made no mistake in the most pressurised moment after Hannibal had stuck up an arm to block Jeremie Frimpong’s cross
The champions’ impressive Premier League goalscoring streak stretches to 38 games nonetheless, their longest such run in the competition.
-Reuters
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