Priyanka Chopra attends UNICEF programme in Ethiopia

NEW DELHI: After shining at the Cannes Film Festival red carpet, Priyanka Chopra went to Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa to be a part of a programme as UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassador.

As the programme focuses on empowering girls and boys, Priyanka shared snippets of her interaction with members of the Gender Club, who work towards preparing students to combat harmful practices, on her Instagram account.

Priyanka also met Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, who is the first female president of the country.

Sharing the video of her first day on the trip, Priyanka wrote: "Day 1: My first visit was to the Sibiste Negasi Primary School in Addis Ababa. In Ethiopia, primary school enrollment between 2000 and 2017 has TRIPLED. This is because of the Ethiopian government's investment in education and its dedication to the future of the country... but there is still so much work to do. 2.6 million children of primary and secondary school age are out of school, and 50% of children attending school drop out by grade 8. Because of poverty, children are responsible for much more than just learning, like caring for siblings, walking miles to collect water and other house hold chores...things that should not be a child's responsibility at any age."

She further wrote in her post: "A child is a child. UNICEF's efforts, along with a very committed government, are focused on getting every child in school, ensuring every child has a quality education, and that every child completes school. Thank you Principal Abebech, Dagmawit (7th grade), and all the other students who made my first day in Ethiopia so special."