Monica Geingos
{{Short description|First Lady of Namibia (2015-2024)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Monica Geingos
| image = Monica Geingos 2021.jpg
| caption = Geingos in 2021
| image_size = 220px
| office = First Lady of Namibia
| term_label = In role
| term_start = 21 March 2015
| term_end = 4 February 2024
| president = Hage Geingob
| predecessor = Penehupifo Pohamba
| successor = Sustjie Mbumba
| birth_name = Monica Kalondo
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|11|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = Ondonga, South West Africa (present-day Namibia)
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Namibian
| party = SWAPO
| spouse = {{marriage|Hage Geingob|14 February 2015|4 February 2024|reason=d}}
| relations =
| children = 2
| residence = Casa Rosalia
Windhoek
Namibia
| alma_mater = University of Namibia
| profession = Businesswoman, Lawyer, Former First Lady
| religion =
| website = https://www.oneeconomyfoundation.com/
| footnotes =
| signature =
| honorific_prefix = Madam
}}
Monica Geingos (née Kalondo; born 15 November 1976){{Cite web|title=Happy Birthday to Mrs. Monica Geingos|url=https://www.facebook.com/OneEconomyFoundation/posts/happy-birthday-to-mrs-monica-geingos-monica-geingos-the-first-lady-of-namibia-an/1230664960647014/|access-date=27 December 2021|website=Facebook|language=en}} is a Namibian entrepreneur and lawyer who served as the 3rd First Lady of Namibia from 2015 until her husband died in 2024. She has been a board member and director within many of the country's large companies.{{Cite web |title=Madame Monica Geingos |url=https://www.concordia.net/community/first-lady-monica-geingos/ |access-date=17 February 2023 |website=Concordia |language=en-US}} She also chaired the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=289407793&privcapId=26689445&previousCapId=26689445&previousTitle=Stimulus%20Private%20Equity|title=Monica Geingos: Executive Profile & Biography - Bloomberg|website=www.bloomberg.com|access-date=25 December 2017}}{{dead link | date=December 2023}} She was the President of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development.{{Cite web |title=Organisation of African First Ladies for Development |url=https://oaflad.org/en/oaflad_members/h-e-mrs-monica-geingos/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227081035/https://oaflad.org/en/oaflad_members/h-e-mrs-monica-geingos/ |archive-date=27 February 2024}} The former first lady of Namibia now serves as the Chancellor of Kepler College in Kigali, Rwanda.{{Cite web |last=Namibian |first=Feni Hiveluah, The |date=2024-08-19 |title=Monica Geingos appointed chancellor of Rwanda’s Kepler College |url=https://www.namibian.com.na/monica-geingos-appointed-chancellor-of-rwandas-kepler-college/ |access-date=2024-08-26 |website=The Namibian |language=en-GB}}
Career
Geingos holds B.Juris and LLB degrees{{Cite news|url=https://www.newera.com.na/2015/06/19/lady-masters-success-quest|title=First Lady Masters of Success next quest|date=19 June 2015|newspaper=New Era|language=en-ZA}} and has spent years as a private equity and governance expert in the financial sector.{{Cite web|title=First Lady of Namibia Monica Geingos, UNAIDS Special Advocate for Young Women and Adolescent Girls|url=https://www.unaids.org/en/aboutunaids/unaidsambassadors/MonicaGeingos|access-date=20 May 2021|website=www.unaids.org|language=en}}
In 2012, she was voted one of Namibia's 12 most influential people,{{cite web|url=http://www.thevillager.com.na/articles/3157/2012-most-influential-personalities/ |title=The Villager-2012 most influential personalities |publisher=Thevillager.com.na |date= |accessdate=27 September 2016}} and in 2020 she was on the list of 100 most influential African women.{{Cite news | url=https://neweralive.na/posts/geingos-theofelus-among-100-most-influential-women | title=Geingos, Theofelus among 100 most influential women | last=Siririka | first=Paheja | newspaper=New Era | date=21 August 2020 | language=en}} Geingos is a graduate of the University of Namibia and spent the early part of her career working for the Namibia Stock Exchange (NSX) in Windhoek. Geingos served as chairman of the board of eBank Namibia and is the managing director of the financial undertaking Stimulus,{{cite web|author=New Era Publication Corporation |url=https://www.newera.com.na/2014/07/11/on-the-spot-with-chairperson-of-ebank-monica-kalondo/ |title=On the Spot with Chairperson of EBank, Monica Kalondo | New Era Newspaper Namibia |publisher=Newera.com.na |date=11 July 2014 |accessdate=27 September 2016}} and general director of Point Break.{{Cite news|url=https://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=137860&page=archive-read|title=Monica Geingos first Namibian speaker at 'Masters of Success'|newspaper=The Namibian|access-date=25 December 2017|language=en}}
Personal life
Geingos married the then president-elect of Namibia, Hage Geingob, on 14 February 2015, shortly before he was sworn into office.[http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=133660&page=archive-read Geingob, Monica say 'I do'], The Namibian, 16 February 2015 She served as First Lady from 21 March 2015 until 4 February 2024, when Geingob died. At Geingob's funeral, Geingos gave a eulogy in which she recounted that Geingob was born a peasant and died a president. She further described how, despite his modest upbringing, Geingob had accomplished remarkable feats and influenced numerous lives.{{Cite web |last=Matthys |first=Donald |date=2024-02-24 |title='You were born a peasant and died a president' – Monica on her Hage |url=https://www.namibian.com.na/you-were-born-a-peasant-and-died-a-president-monica-on-her-hage/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=The Namibian |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Geingos |first=Monica |date=2024-02-27 |title=My president, my husband, my best friend |url=https://www.namibian.com.na/my-president-my-husband-my-best-friend/ |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=The Namibian |language=en-GB}}
Awards
Mrs. Geingos was awarded the World Without AIDS Award from the German AIDS Foundation.{{Cite web |title=Mrs. Monica Geingos |url=https://www.womenlifthealth.org/profile/madame-monica-geingos/ |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=WomenLift Health |language=en-US}}
Legacy
A school in Otjiwarongo, Monica Geingos Junior Secondary School is named after Mrs. Geingos.{{Cite web |last=Namibian |first=The |date=2017-10-16 |title=Geingos rewards outstanding pupils and teachers |url=https://www.namibian.com.na/geingos-rewards-outstanding-pupils-and-teachers/ |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=The Namibian |language=en-GB}} A street, Monica Geingos Street in Mondesa, Swakopmund is also named after her.{{Cite web |title=Swakopmund street named after FLON {{!}} nbc |url=https://nbcnews.na/news/swakopmund-street-named-after-flon.44733 |access-date=2024-08-29 |website=nbcnews.na}}
References
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Category:First ladies of Namibia
Category:University of Namibia alumni
Category:20th-century Namibian lawyers
Category:21st-century Namibian lawyers