SASSCAL staff joined the rest of the African continent to celebrate Africa Day. Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity on 25 May 1963. Celebrating this year’s Africa Day theme “Healthy Lifestyle Prolongs Life” SASSCAL staff wore their diverse beautiful African ethnic attires.
![](http://new-website.sasscal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/img_2609edit-1024x650.jpg)
SASSCAL staff members at the SASSCAL Regional Secretariat dressed up in traditional attire
Africa Day was first held in 1963 in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, when 32 countries formed the Organisation of Africa Unity. 22 additional countries have joined the African Union Commission. The African Union’s original mission was to bring freedom to African countries that were still under colonial rule in the 1960s, defend their sovereignty, uphold human rights and restore the dignity of the African people. Nowadays, Africa Day is a national holiday, widely celebrated.
Director of Administration and Finance, Mrs Chipo Chirefu Toto delivered a short message where she stated that SASSCAL thrives to provide decision makers in the region with African solutions that are African grown and meet international standards. This is achieved through collaboration with renowned international organisations. SASSCAL is very proud of its footprint in the region she added, as the regional initiative has made tremendous contributions towards strengthening the human and infrastructural capacities of the region in dealing with climate change and adaptive land management.