First daughters Malia and Sasha Obama are headed to Cape Town, South Africa, and Gaborone, Botswana, this month. The sisters will be accompanied by their mom First Lady Michelle Obama and their grandma Marian Robinson.
Obama’s office said the trip will be a continuation of the first lady’s effort to encourage young people at home and abroad, a traditional first-lady project which Obama has taken up with zeal. World travel also is traditional for first ladies: Obama has already picked up a slew of stamps in her passport, with visits to Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, India and Mexico, not to mention the glittering capitals of Europe. Obama hopes to underscore America’s continuing interest in the success of African nations and strengthen historic connections between Americans and Africans.