Meet The People Behind FOCUS1000
The first 1000 days of a child’s life, is a period which is often referred to as the golden window of opportunity. Investments made during this period have an everlasting impact on the child’s likelihood to survive, thrive, and become a productive member of society. All our programmes, studies and activities contribute to our focus and ethos which aims to exercise the potential of this period in every child’s life.
Mohammad has 37 years of work experience(12 with Government of Sierra Leone and 25 with UNICEF at both national and international levels) with a wide range of expertise including management, advocacy, media relations, emergency, and program development.
He has served in senior leadership positions with UNICEF in Sierra Leone, New York, Nigeria and Bangladesh. He led the social mobilization campaign for the Universal Child Immunization (UCI) in Sierra Leone that dramatically moved national immunization coverage from 6% in 1986 to 80% in 1990.
He also played major roles in several National and Global Public Health Initiatives including the Polio Eradication Initiative in 30 endemic countries in Africa and Asia, the Girls´ Education Campaign in Nigeria, and the Promotion of Early Childhood Care and Development in Bangladesh. Mohammad has worked extensively with the international media involving UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors –including Roger Moore, Harry Bela Fonte, Mia Farrow, Angelique Kidjo, Claudia Schiffer and Liv Ulman– in promoting the issues of children and women around the world.
Programmes Dr. Pratt has 37 years of engagement in health working for the Ministry of Health in Sierra Leone and UNICEF. He has strong expertise in a wide range of both clinical and preventive medicine including Epidemiology, MCH Services, Family Planning, Immunization, Nutrition, Health Education, Environmental Sanitation, Management and District Health Planning.
As Health Specialist in UNICEF Sierra Leone for 13 years, Dr. Pratt contributed to achieving results for children through the formulation and development of Child Survival programmes, as well as their successful implementation and evaluation. Prior to joining UNICEF, Dr. Pratt worked for the Ministry of Health in Sierra Leone for 24 years in various capacities.
He served as District Medical Officer in Port Loko and Koinadugu districts, and as National Trainer and Facilitator for several health programmes in the country.
aul has over 30 years working experience (6 years in government as a teacher, 9 years working a Primary Health Care monitoring and Evaluation officer for GTZ- a bilateral German Organization, and 14 years as a National Staff in UNICEF Freetown as the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist). His academic and professional qualifications are in the areas of statistics and education. He has expertise in social sector programme planning, monitoring and evaluation with extensive facilitation, coaching and mentoring skills.
For over 20 years, Paul has provided technical support to government, non-governmental organisations and UN Agencies in data collection management and analysis with special emphasis on the conduct of surveys in censuses, demographic health and other social surveys and operational research in the prevention of maternal mortality.
He has very good computer skills in software programmes for Database management, Statistical software packages and presentation. During his 14 years, Paul served as the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist and played leadership roles in dealing with Partners, particularly government counterparts in achieving planned results for children. Before joining UNICEF, he worked for the GTZ Bo/Pujehun Primary Health Care Programme as Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. During this period he also taught medical statistics to Community Health Officers (CHOs) at the Paramedical School in Bo. He briefly worked with Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs when it was newly created.
Edward is a result driven Human Resource practitioner that specializes in HRIS (Human Resource Information System) which is an intersection of Human Resources and information technology through HR software. My background with HR software enables me to conduct my work and every HR activities and processes to occur electronically.
Prior to joining FOCUS 1000, Edward also served as Personnel Manager for SMR Shipping Ltd. for four years a period in which he was able to optimize the Company’s performance by streamlining a workforce from 150 workers to 100 workers that became more engaged and productive. His abilities to assimilate large scale operational infrastructures by developing a cost-effective operating model, refining them into a best practice and synchronized entity that observes Sierra Leone Labour Laws due diligences.
His professional experience spans the areas of: General HR Administration, Staffing, Organisation Development, Project Management, Payroll Administration, Performance Management, Workforce Planning & Analytics, Strategic Planning, On-boarding, HR Metrics, Employee Recruitment and Retention, Employee Relations, HR Policies and Procedures, Succession Planning and Exit Management.
Edward combines a passion for exemplary service in aligning talent with Organization objectives by expressing a genuine interest in people and making a perfect match between position and person. His professionalism enables him to thrive in high-pressure and fast-paced service delivery environments using resourcefulness, initiative, team spirit work ethic, effective communication and drive. He also believes it is essential to understand the relevant core organization trends in order to be able to adapt the HR strategy and support services the organization needs at every facet of the Organization operation plans. His experience form working in a complex organization with diverse workforce has helped him to build collaborative skills to work effectively with peers across various background and cultures. Edward is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) in the United Kingdom and Alumni of the African Community Internship Placement Programme (ACIPP) based in Haarlem, The Netherlands.
Edward holds a Bachelor degree in English and currently working towards fellowship status with the CIPD.
Sheikh Conteh has over Thirty (30) years’ experience in Islamic Practice/Studies, nationally and internationally. 1974-1981, acquired Higher Bachelor Degree –Faculinfo@stc-teamwear.comty of Proselytism and Theology, Islamic University, Al-Medina Al-Munawarra Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sheikh Conteh has been a missionary in Muslim World Leagues –Rabita- Mecca.
He has also severed as Chief Imam Masjid Hamdallah- Naimbana Street, Masjid Jamieu Salaam-Goderich and Masjid Uhud –Kingtom. Since 1986 to date, Sheikh Conteh is the Head of Arabic Department, Senior Lecturer Department of Religious and Moral Education, Deputy Director –Distance Education Unit, Freetown Teachers’ College, Kossoh Town.
Sheikh Abu Bakaar Conteh, has been awarded Officer of the Order of the Rokel, Task Force Member- Voice of Islam, Chief Imam Freetown City Council, President-Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone, Secretary General –Board of Imam, West End Muslim Community, Member, of His Excellency‘s Delegation to Saudi Arabia and Libya 1999 and 2000 to Qatar on OIC Summit, High Commissioner {Islam} Sierra Leone Scouts Association and several positions and membership held.
Rev Christina Sutton-Koroma has over twenty-two {22} years’ experience in Pastoral Mission Nationally and International. She is presently the General Overseer of St. Paul’s Congregational Evangelical Mission, Hennessy Street, Freetown and the National Coordinator for Christian Action Group {CHRISTAG} FOCUS 1000.
Rev Sutton-Koroma has held several executive positions in various organization including : Sierra Leone Inter-Religious AIDS Network{SLIRAN} as Vice Chairman , Council of Churches Sierra Leone as Board Chairman Human Rights and Social Services Department, Tony Blair Faith Foundation as Malaria Ambassador and Trainer in community work, Inter-Religious Council Sierra Leone as National Women’s Coordinator etc.
Prof Gage has over 45 years’ experience as a Medical Practitioner. He holds M.D University of Tubingen {West} Germany, D.T.P.H in Public Health from London University, M.Sc. in Medical Sciences/Epidemiology at McMaster University, Canada. He is a fellow of the West African College of Physician {FWACP}.
Nationally, Prof Gage has served as Medical Officer, Connaught Hospital, District Medical Officer, Kenema, Provincial Medical Officer and Head Endemic Diseases Control unit in Bo, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Ministry of Health. He was Head of Department of Community Health and Vice Principal College of Medicine & Allied Health Sciences. Served as National Consultant to the Global Fund Supported HIV/AIDS and Malaria Programmes. He was appointed Registrar Sierra Leone Medical and Dental Council.
Internationally, Prof Gage has worked as External Assessor and Advisor Midterm review of HIV/AIDS Control Programme in Ghana, Health Management Advisor in Ethiopia, and Epidemiologist- Consultant to the Government on the prevention and control of communicable disease and primary Health Care in the Kingdom of Lesotho. Consultant Epidemiologist, Onchocerciasis Control Programme in Nigeria.
Mohamed Timbo holds a B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.sc in Transport and Traffic Engineering from Fourah Bay College, the University of Sierra Leone, and Strathclyde University, Glasgow, the United Kingdom, respectively. He is a Fellow Member of the Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers (FSLIE) and a, Corporate Member of the British Institution of Highways and Transportation.
He also holds a Diploma in Finance and Accounting (Glasgow College of Technology-An ACCA Course for Non-Professional Accountants) and a certificate in Development and Economic Planning (United Nations IDEP, Dakar, Senegal). He has also participated in Senior Executive Courses in Project Management(DSE, Berlin, Germany) and Corporate Management(ASCI, Hyderabad, India), respectively. Alhaji Timbo’s working experience has ranged from the private sector as an Engineer in the then DELCO Mines to the public sector(Ministry of Development and Economic Planning followed by the National Authorising Office).
As Head of the National Authorising Office (1999-2008), he was actively involved and led the way in the planning and implementation of all European Union funded projects and programmes under the EU/Sierra Leone Development Cooperation Agreement on behalf of Government and in close collaboration with the European Commission Delegation..
Alhaji Timbo also served as Board Member of the then SLNTC (Sierra Leone National Telecommunication) and the NTB (National Tourist Board) for a number of years. Currently, he is a Director at the Board of EDSA (Electricity Distribution and Supply Board). He is also serving as a member of PERC (Professional Engineers Registration Council) since 2008.
Following the end of his public service in 2008, he entered into the field of Development consultancy in order to continue to be of service to his country. In this respect, he has undertaken a number of infrastructural studies in collaboration with both local and external consultants.
Alhaji Timbo is a Commissioner of Oaths.
Mrs Ebun James-DeKam is a child of God since birth to present day. One of her favourite Scripture verse is taken from Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”.