Empowering Girls and Communities in the DRC: A painting for Malaika
Stall Three Studio is partnering with Malaika, a non-profit organization that provides free, accredited primary and secondary education and high-end healthcare to over 430 girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The painting is dedicated to the mission to empower girls through education and health programs so they can spread their wings to new opportunities and leave disadvantageous situations behind. The limited edition prints are being released on Stall Three Studio’s website with the release of the website on Friday, September 1st, 2023. Twenty percent of profits from the limited edition prints will be donated to the foundation to support their continuing efforts. These funds will provide costs associated with a year of education for one student, two months of healthy meals daily for two entire classrooms, and vocational training for nine members of the community.
The Malaika Foundation, Empowering the next generation of leaders in the DRC
Malaika is a nonprofit organization empowering girls and their communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through education and health programs.
Founded in 2007, Malaika has grown into an all-encompassing ecosystem, impacting thousands of lives each year through its five core programs, all of which are offered for free to the entire community:
School - The Malaika School provides an accredited, holistic primary and secondary education to 430 girls. Taught in French and English, its STEM-focused curriculum includes coding, music, theater, sport and art, ensuring that students are equipped with a 21st century education.
Community Center - Malaika’s community center, partially built in partnership with FIFA, offers extensive programming, including literacy, vocational education, sports/football and health classes to more than 5,000 youth and adults, providing life-changing opportunities for the community at large.
Technical classes - In collaboration with Caterpillar Foundation, Malaika’s technical program trains young adults as mechanics and electricians, certifying them at a nationally-recognized level.
Water - Malaika has built or refurbished 27 wells, providing clean, safe drinking water at central locations to more than 35,000 individuals each year.
Nutrition - Malaika’s agricultural program, grows organic food on campus, providing students and staff with two healthy meals each day, creating employment opportunities and serving as a platform to educate the community about sustainable farming practices.
These programs, all of which are community driven and locally led, symbiotically work together as a replicable model, which can be customized to other communities and organizations throughout Africa and the world.
A Community Approach
Malaika’s community-driven model has been integral to their success since the founding in 2007. Through a comprehensive, local approach, an entire village has undergone a transformative ripple effect. And it all starts with education: an educated woman is more likely to give back to her community, to inspire others to attend school, and to cultivate a sense of independence among both her peers and the next generation.
Malaika believes that this community-driven model can, and should, be adopted on the global stage.
Noella Coursaris Musunka, Congolese born International Model and Founder of Malaika
Noëlla Coursaris Musunka, a Congolese/ Cypriot international model and philanthropist, founded Malaika in the village of Kalebuka near her birthplace in southeastern DRC, an area which previously had little or no access to electricity, clean water, education facilities, healthcare or technology. She is a leading voice for the power of girls’ education. Malaika is also proud and honored to have won a 2021 World Literacy Award.
Through collaboration, partnerships, talks and events worldwide, Noëlla actively shares her experience and insights she has gained through working with the Malaika team with organizations and individuals looking to make change, from the World Economic Forum to universities such as Harvard, MIT and Oxford. In addition to receiving an award from the House of Mandela at the Nelson Mandela centenary celebration, she was named one of the BBC’s 100 Most Influential & Inspirational Women of the Year in 2017. Most recently, Noëlla was featured in Facebook’s 2021 ‘LeadHERS: Life Lessons From African Women’ book spotlighting 19 female leaders across Africa who are breaking boundaries and positively impacting society.
To learn more about Malaika’s work in DRC for 15 years, read recent articles in Financial Times, The Telegraph and Marie Claire and watch a recent video about our programs here, this wonderful piece about our impact and our feature episode on Forbes 8.