Noëlla Coursaris Musunka

Noëlla Coursaris Musunka was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo to a Cypriot father and a Congolese mother. At the age of five, her father passed away, leading her mother to send her to live with relatives in Europe due to financial constraints. During her childhood in Europe, she maintained limited contact with her family in Congo, primarily through letters and a few phone calls over 13 years. This period allowed her to pursue her education, culminating in a degree in Business Management. Following her degree, a friend entered her into a modeling competition, which launched her career with a campaign for Agent Provocateur. Her modeling career took her to global platforms, appearing in publications such as Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair, and Marie Claire.

At 18, Noëlla revisited her homeland and observed the significant poverty and lack of opportunities for women. This experience motivated her to establish Malaika in 2007, a grassroots nonprofit organization. Malaika focuses on empowering girls and communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through comprehensive education and health programs, all provided free of charge. The organization’s initiatives include a school serving over 430 girls with an accredited curriculum, a Community Center, developed in partnership with FIFA, offering educational, health, and sports programs to over 5,000 individuals annually, and a clean water program that provides access to clean water for more than 35,000 people through 31 wells. Additionally, Malaika operates an agriculture program to provide two daily meals to its students and staff, alongside vocational training opportunities.

Noëlla is a prominent advocate for education and human rights. Her work extends beyond local community engagement to national and continental advocacy in Africa. In 2017, she was recognized as one of the BBC’s 100 Most Influential & Inspirational Women of the Year and received an award at the 100 Years of Mandela celebration in 2018. She serves as an Ambassador for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, an Advisor at Concordia, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Segal Family Foundation. She also contributes to the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network and the L’Oréal Fund for Women Endowment Fund Advisory Committee, and has served as a judge for EY’s World Entrepreneur of the Year Award.