Acting DG Toni, Representatives of the Department of Social Services, and all workshop organizers and participants, good morning. It is a pleasure to join you for in opening this event. It is another milestone in the U. S. Agency for International Development’ partnership with the government of South Africa and its Department for Social Development in pursuit of the millennial goals for curbing HIVAIDS.

Good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to brief you on the U.S. PEPFAR - President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief - program in Namibia. 
Our purpose today is to provide our media partners with information to enhance your understanding of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Namibia and the efforts underway to address it. PEPFAR is the U.S. government’s response to the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.  The program is the largest commitment in history by any nation to address a single disease.

Dumelang! This is my first visit to Bloemfontein, but already I can see why it is known as the city of flowers and also a province that is producing great readers. Thank you for inviting me here for the launch of the Accelerated Early Grade Reading Project, a project that speaks to the future of South Africa.

As the USAID/Southern Africa Mission Director, it is my distinct pleasure to join you on behalf of the US Government to mark the close of the 2017 SADC Seed Technical Meeting. Let me begin by thanking the Government of South Africa for hosting this important regional event. I would like to thank Chairperson Ramashala for his stewardship over the last four days.  We are also extremely grateful to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) for its ongoing leadership and its hospitality towards Member States and implementing partners.