France warms up to Bruni as she takes up global mission

Her 20-hour visit to one of the poorest countries in the world last week marked Brunis debut as a good-will ambassador,a personal experiment in burnishing her image.

A year after her marriage to President Nicolas Sarkozy catapulted her into the role of first lady,Bruni said she has decided to do something useful,signing on with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,Tuberculosis and Malaria last December as its first formal celebrity envoy.

In the past year,Brunis approval ratings have risen to more than double those of the President. After initial condemnation by the French,who criticised the public and glitzy nature of their romance,things turned in her favour.

Bruni is credited with quietly calming down her high-octane husband. Although her husband hasnt dared to venture deep into Frances troubled suburbs as President,she is planning to use some of her personal fortune to start the Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Foundation. It will finance scholarships for underprivileged young people.

In Ouagadougou on Wednesday,Bruni toured an outpatient hospital where patients are tested and treated for HIV. The most poignant moment came when she stepped into a stark room with dirty walls,with four severely malnourished babies,two of them HIV-positive.

Dr Michel Kazatchkine,the executive director of the Global Fund,told journalists to focus on the project. This is not about a show-business star here..