Noëlla was born in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). At age 5, she sadly lost her father, and lacking the resources to raise her, her mother sent her to live with relatives in Europe.
Noëlla was educated in Belgium and Switzerland, and after achieving a degree in business management, she moved to London and embarked on a career in the challenging world of international modeling. Her successful modeling career brought Noëlla to New York where she started the Georges Malaika Foundation (GMF) in 2007 in tandem with her active modeling career.
GMF is committed to solving the education crisis in the DRC and dedicated to raising the literacy rate for Congolese women. At present, efforts are being concentrated on the building of the foundation’s first school for girls, and GMF has been highly commended throughout the third sector and the media. Only the local staff working in DRC are paid, while executive and support staff working in the US and around the globe are professionals volunteering their time and talents to support the mission and vision of GMF.
Financed with the minimum of costs, GMF allows a high percentage of donations to go to the girls and the construction of the school. The school was designed by world-renowned architecture firm studioMDA, and the work is being done by local contractors. GMF has formed a strong relationship with the Voss Foundation, and they are working with GMF to install a well that will provide the school with direct access to fresh water.
