Above: First Ladies of African countries pose for photo,
Monday, April 20, 2009, at the African First Ladies Health
Summit in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Nick Ut).

Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff

Published: Wednesday, April 22, 2009

New York (Tadias) – First Ladies from several African countries assembled for a successful first-ever U.S.-based health summit on Monday, April 20, 2009 in Los Angeles.

They were hosted by USDFA, a California based non-profit organization, founded by Ethiopian-born social entrepreneur Ted Alemayuhu.

“Empowering Africa’s First Ladies is an innovative approach to bettering the lives of millions of Africans,” Mr. Alemayhu said in a statement.

The event, which included a performance by Natalie Cole and a luncheon hosted by California first lady Maria Shriver, engaged the First Ladies in identifying top priorities for the coming year related to maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS and Education.

“First ladies have a unique role. They exist outside the political realm to some degree but have a very powerful role in their communities as role models to everyday Africans,” Cora Neumann, an organizer for USDFA told the Associated Press. “There’s never been a summit focused exclusively on them.”

First Ladies of countries throughout Africa pose for a photo Monday, April 20, 2009,
at the African First Ladies Health Summit in Los Angeles. Seated from left are: Adelcia
Barreto Pires of Cape Verde, Chantal Biya of Cameroon, Ana Paula Dos Santos of Angola
and Queen Inkhosikati LaMbikiza of Swaziland. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Actors Christine Lahti, left, and Joely Fisher pose at the African First Ladies Health
Summit in Los Angeles on Monday, April 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Dignitaries hailed from member countries of African Synergy, a health initiative alliance comprising of twenty two African First Ladies. African Synergy was established in 2002.

Participating first ladies included: Ida Odinga wife of Kenyan prime minister; Hadjia Laraba Tandja of Niger; Penehupifo Pohamba of Namibia; Thandiwe Banda of Zambia; Maria da Luz Dai Guebuza of Mozambique; Mathato Sarah Mosisili of Lesotho; Sia Nyama Koroma of Sierra Leone; Adelcia Barreto Pires of Cape Verde; Chantal Biya of Cameroon; Ana Paula Dos Santos of Angola; Queen Inkhosikati LaMbikiza of Swaziland and Dr. Turai Umaru Yar’Adua of Nigeria.