Auma Obama (59), the half-sister of the former US President Barack Obama, recently met up with Germany's First Lady Elke Büdenbender (57) in Berlin.
According to the Office of the Federal President, the two spoke about a training centre operated in Kenya by Ms. Obama's foundation which aims to offer employment prospects to young people in the country. "I was extremely impressed by the amount of energy she brings to this task," said Ms. Büdenbender. "In future, the foundation in Kenya will be doing precisely the same thing which makes vocational education and training so good - training skilled workers and giving young people a chance."
Ms. Obama, who herself was born in Kenya, has a special connection to Germany. She studied in Heidelberg and Berlin and completed her doctorate at the University of Bayreuth. Elke Büdenbender is the wife of the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. In her role as First Lady, she is pursuing a particular commitment to young people and vocational education and training.