International Women’s Day2023
What makes you feel empowered? And what are your hopes for future generations of women?
This International Women’s Day, on 8th March, we’re proud to be partnering with the inspirational model, speaker, philanthropist and CEO of the Malaika Organisation, Noëlla Coursaris Musunka, to explore these important questions.
Alongside a standalone donation to Malaika, which helps to educate and empower young women and their communities the Democratic Republic of the Congo, David Morris will contribute a percentage of all online sales of our iconic Miss Daisy fine jewellery collection for the entire month of March, to support Malaika’s vital education and health programmes which impact thousands of lives every year.
Having lost her father when she was only five years old, Noëlla was sent by her mother from her native Congo to live with relatives in Europe in order to have the best chance at an education. She returned to the Congo and was reunited with her mother at the age of 18, which she describes as a defining moment that galvanised her to do something in order to help her family, her community and her country.
After achieving a degree in business management, Noëlla was entered by a friend into a modelling competition and went on to have a highly successful career appearing in major fashion campaigns and on the covers of glossy magazines. In 2007, she used her international platform to found Malaika, a non-profit organisation that improves the lives of Congolese girls through education and healthcare programmes, plus wider technical classes and support for their local community.
Over 15 years later, Malaika now supports thousands of people each year and is launching the Malaika Toolkit, so that other vulnerable communities can replicate their model for growth successfully.
Here, Noella shares her journey to founding Malaika, the power of jewellery for making her feel good, what makes her feel empowered now and her hopes for the young women of the future.
