Noëlla Coursaris Musunka, a Congolese/Cypriot philanthropist and international model, is the Founder of Malaika, a grassroots nonprofit that works to educate and empower girls and communities in her home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

After finishing her studies in Business Management, Noëlla entered the world of modeling. As her career took off and she took her talents to the global stage, Noëlla uncovered a platform through which to share her passion for human rights. Fiercely proud of her African heritage, her determination to help improve the lives of Africa’s youth has made her an international advocate for girls’ education.

In 2007, fueled by her personal commitment, Noëlla founded Malaika. Today, Malaika’s education and health programs are impacting thousands of people’s lives in the village of Kalebuka and are all offered free of charge. Malaika’s work has three components: an accredited school that provides a quality, holistic curriculum for 346 girls; The Kalebuka Football for Hope Center, built in partnership with FIFA, which offers free sports programming, along with literacy and vocational education and health check ups, to over 7,000 youth and adults annually, leveraging the power of football in uniting a community; and, a clean water program that has built and refurbished 19 wells to supply fresh water to over 35,000 people each year, greatly reducing disease and illness. Crucially, Malaika’s community-driven approach acts as a model that can be replicated on a global scale in communities around the world.

Since 2017, Noëlla has served as an Ambassador for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. She also continues her work as a model, representing MAX FACTOR, among other brands. In January 2019, Noëlla collaborated with fashion designer Roksanda and THE OUTNET to launch an exclusive clothing collection, with proceeds going towards Malaika.

As a passionate advocate for girls’ education across the globe, Noëlla has s