MEA chalks out eclectic itinerary for African First Ladies

The Ministry of External Affairs has strung together a unique itinerary for African First Ladies, that includes a visit to Akshardham temple, cooking lessons from a celebrity chef and Benarasi handloom fashion show.
Apart from this, the First Ladies would also interact with 'Solar Grandmothers' from Africa, who are being trained in Tilona in Rajasthan, said India's envoy to UNESCO, Ruchira Kamboj, who has been specially roped in for chalking out these programmes.
"We are expecting 17 First Ladies and have drawn an interesting programme for them. We have a visit to the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple which represents culture which is classic and enduring. We will move on to next segments thereafter which is interaction with solar grandmothers.

"Following this there will be a fashion show 'Threads of Benaras' on handlooms. There would be a demonstration of Indian culinary skills by masterchef Kunal Kapoor," Kamoj said.
The programme will take place on October 29 for 3-4 hours.
"It is a very diverse mix, but in a very short duration we attempt to showcase the very best Indian tradition and culture," she added.
The First Ladies will also interact with 'solar grandmothers', who are selected by the Barefoot College, an NGO, to be trained as solar engineers. The selected solar engineers are specifically middle-aged women with strong roots in the village.