FIRST LADY SIA KOROMA TO ATTEND AFRICAN HEALTH

UNCLAS FREETOWN 000140 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR AF/W (EDITH SPRUILL AND JIM HUNTER); AF/RSA (LOUIS MAZEL);USAID FOR FRANKLIN MOORE AND NATALIE FREEMAN) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PINR OVIP SCUL EAID SL SUBJECT: FIRST LADY SIA KOROMA TO ATTEND AFRICAN HEALTH SUMMIT IN LOS ANGELES, CA, (APRIL 20-22) REF: FREETOWN 121 ¶1. (SBU) On April 4, Sierra Leone's First Lady, Mrs. Sia Koroma, confirmed to Ambassador her attendance at the First Ladies' African Summit. She told me she planned to depart Freetown on April 19. Mrs. Koroma also requested that we try to obtain a presentation slot for her during the conference. ¶2. (SBU) Since then, I have personally contacted Cora Neumann, Vice President of the African Doctors organization. During our telcon, she confirmed that she would find an appropriate time for Mrs. Koroma to speak about her "WISH" foundation aimed at improving maternal and child health. Mrs. Koroma, Dr. Robert Hamilton (Dir., Lighthouse Medical Mission in Santa Monica) and I also discussed the Lighthouse team's desire to host Mrs. Koroma at a program while she is in California. We have provided the First Lady's bio and information on her foundation to the summit organizers. ¶3. (SBU) Note: The Lighthouse Medical Mission group of 40 provided medical treatment for Sierra Leoneans and departed April 10, 2009. Accompanying the team was "Entertainment Tonight" host Mark Steines who plans to produce a documentary and a book on the group's work. Actress Patricia Heaton (of "Everybody Loves Raymond" fame) came with the Mission and has built a school up country. Ms. Heaton wishes to maintain contact with us to support health and education in Sierra Leone. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: Mrs. Koroma's participation in the L.A. Summit will, we hope, raise Sierra Leone's profile among potential private sector donors and provide a complementary effort to official USG activities now underway through the Ambassador's Girls Scholarship program and the Special Self Help fund. Although the documentary is not expected until the fall of this year, we believe it, too, will help us develop deeper collaboration between the broader development community and our official efforts to address Sierra Leone's impoverished population. PERRY