Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Alumni Spotlights Our Executive Director Ndudi Chuku!
What position(s) did you hold at the foundation and when?
Program Assistant, US Programs (PNW), 2007 – 2014
What are you doing now?
Executive Director, Mission Africa
Which alumni are you most looking forward to connecting with?
Laurie Lee. I once shared my vision for Mission Africa with Laurie and he made me feel like I could conquer the entire world. “There’s no reason why you can’t accomplish all that if you set your heart to it,” Laurie told me. I believed him. Look how far we’ve come. I’ll remain eternally grateful for that talk.
I’d also like to connect with alumni with experience and interest in African development, and local community outreach programs and services.
Was there a project at the foundation you were most proud to be a part of? Why and what was your role?
I was very proud to be a member of both the Africa working group and the Nigeria working group. I was there at the initial conversations on the need for the foundation to have a presence in Africa. Today, the foundation has several offices across Africa – in Ethiopia, South Africa, and my home country, Nigeria. I feel honored that I may have contributed to making the vision of an African presence for the Gates Foundation a reality.
What are you most excited about and proud of since leaving the foundation?
Working full time as the Executive Director of Mission Africa. It’s a dream come true for me.
My husband George and I founded Mission Africa in 2006 to tackle social problems in Nigeria. Our goal is to assist families and children in remote villages of Africa to improve their lives. We provide educational scholarships, free meals, medical assistance, computer literacy, agricultural development, career development, and small loans that will empower women in Ghana, the Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, the Republic of Togo, Uganda and Zambia. Here in the United States, every Christmas season since 2006 we’ve partnered with local organizations in South King County to provide gifts and warm coats to parents who couldn’t afford to provide them for their children. This past Christmas more than 250 families with 720 children participated in the “Smiles at Christmas” program.
For twelve years, Mission Africa has been working with these alumni-founded NGOs. We’ve formed strategic partnerships with remarkable capacities culminating in sustainable, tangible and measurable results using small budgets and volunteer staff. Together, and with Mission Africa’s leadership, we’re improving lives in the rural areas of Africa.
The foundation’s matching gift program provides a significant portion of the total funding for many small organizations working in development in Africa and across the globe, and numerous foundation alumni have started these organizations.
We couldn’t have accomplished any of this without the partnerships we’ve built here in the United States and the local NGOs in Africa, and most of these have the support of members of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Alumni Network. These partnerships have given us the ability to scale our work far beyond what any of us could do alone.
I’m incredibly blessed and very fortunate to work directly with the alums who started some of these NGOs in their home countries – Regina Kapinga, for instance, who founded Mission Africa Tanzania with her husband, Emil, and Mairo Mandara. who founded Girl Child Concern (GCC). Together they have improved the lives of thousands of children and families in Tanzania, Nigeria and beyond. Others have collaborated with Mission Africa to execute specific projects in their home communities. Vasey Mwaja (Kenya), Dennis Mwanza (Zambia), Jacob Mignouna (Togo), and Elizabeth Lule (Uganda). These are all alums who’ve carried on the legacy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation by giving children in their local African communities the opportunity to live healthy and productive lives.
Who is the person/people who influenced you most in the path you’ve taken in life?
My parents Jerome & Maria Lekwauwa. They were the kindest and most philanthropic human beings I’ve ever known. Almost every one of their cousins passed through our home either to go to school or to learn a trade. I was already in grade school when I realized who my actual siblings were. At some point, there were sixteen children living with us. I thought they were all my siblings. My parents were passionate about improving lives and giving people the opportunity to grow.
I owe immense gratitude to Bill Gates Sr. His vision for the employee 3 -1 match is the reason for Mission Africa’s success. The employee’s matching fund goes a long way in the remote villages of the countries where Mission Africa provides services. The collective impact these small NGOs are making in the villages of Africa may never be captured on the Gates Foundation’s database, but they are real and life changing. We’ll remain grateful to him, the foundation leadership, and all foundation employees who support Mission Africa and similar initiatives.
What question do you want to answer that I didn’t ask?
“How valuable is the Alumni network to you?” Very valuable! Mission Africa is where it is today mostly because of the relationships and friendships I built while working at the foundation.
Who would’ve thought that a little girl from a small village, Azaraegbelu, Emekuku, Owerri in the Imo State of Nigeria, would have her picture hanging on the walls of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center in recognition of her accomplishments through Mission Africa?
On September 12, 2017, as part of the University of Washington’s “Accelerated Social Transformation” executive class, I walked into the foundation’s Discovery Center with a group of 31 other social transformation professionals from across the globe. The staff at the Visitor Center greeted me warmly and introduced us to our guide who started showing us around, explaining what the Center was about. Suddenly, the guide took another look at me. He stopped. Observing me, he said “It’s youuuuu.” A few months earlier, the Center had contacted me to submit a picture. I had no idea that it was already on display. As soon as the guide made that announcement pointing to the wall, I became an instant celebrity. Before I realized what was going on, my colleagues lined up to take pictures with me by my poster. It was exhilarating and humbling, but mostly funny. I had never seen anyone go from ordinary to a celebrity in an instant.
And, by the way, special thanks to alumnus Jeff Raikes. I was able to attend that class thanks to a full scholarship from the Raikes Foundation through Global Washington.
The poster of Ndudi and George Chuku at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center.
I consider myself the most blessed alumna because, as a former Program Assistant for the foundation, four people I supported are now alumni, and each of them now supports my dream. Valisa Smith who hired me and was my manager for four years has volunteered at Mission Africa’s annual “Smiles at Christmas” event since 2007. She received Mission Africa’s 2018 Volunteer Appreciation Award for her consistency and selfless service.
Jodi Haavig and Kimberly Mitchell, whom I also supported, sponsor a table at Mission Africa’s annual fundraiser every single year. In addition, Kimberly delivered the keynote address at our 2017 fundraiser. She has invited me to talk about Africa in her Comparative International Education class at the University of Washington four times in the last two years. And Edie Harding, my last manager at the foundation, supports Mission Africa financially. What a blessing!
Outside of my PNW team, Alisa Stevens is one of many alumni who consistently volunteers and supports Mission Africa. Pamela Oakes was our keynote speaker at our 2016 Fundraiser. Tosin Arasi once volunteered his services as a professional photographer to cover a Mission Africa fundraising event. Cristina Roark has volunteered her photography talents to cover Mission Africa events for the past two years. Lisa Verhovek continues to support Mission Africa. Elizabeth Russell’s company donates products towards our auctions and Susan Schlatter has remained a long-term friend and supporter. There may be even more I may not be remembering – I’m sorry if I missed you but please know how much I appreciate you!
Mission Africa has benefited from the Alumni Network financially as well as through the volunteer hours and moral support of its generous members.
Row 1 L – R. 1. Regina Kapinga Ndudi & George 2.Valisa Smith volunteering 3. Ndudi & Cristina Roark
Row 2 L – R 1. Valisa & daughter, Alice 2. Ndudi, Jodi Haavig, Kimberly Mitchell & Lisa Verhovek 3.George and Ndudi with their son, Chizaram
Row 3 L – R 1. Ndudi & Elizabeth Russell 2.Alisa Stevens volunteering 3.Pamela Oakes, Chizaram & Ndudi
Do you have a personal philanthropic passion you’d like to share with alums?
Mission Africa launched an International Mentorship Program in early February of 2019 and is actively seeking professionals as mentors from the United States to be matched with young middle/high school students in Africa. The program will involve the mentor spending a minimum of one hour every month via Facetime, WhatsApp, email, Skype, text or phone with an assigned mentee. Designed to be similar to Big Brother/Big Sister, the conversations are focused on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, leadership, business development, social enterprise and general welfare. Mentor application forms can be found on our website here.
What’s a great book, movie, exhibit, play or experience you’ve read/seen/had recently that you would recommend? Intentional Living by John C. Maxwell, and The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann.
What’s something you can’t be without when you travel?
Headphones and a good book.
Do you have family news to share?
I just celebrated 23 years of marriage to my husband, George Ikoro Chuku. We have a nine-year-old son, Chizaram. He’s already taller than I am.
Do you have a life motto?
“Be there when you’re there so you’ll be missed when you’re gone.”
My lifelong mentor, Rev. Mrs. Gloria Uchefuna, taught me to always be more and do more than is expected. She’d say to me “ND (as she fondly calls me), be sure to go in through the door and leave through the door so they’ll know when you come in and when you leave.” She encourages me to “always make a positive impression.”
What’s your favorite dish to cook?
Jollof rice.
What do you do in your spare time (if you have any)?
Read a good book, listen to a self-improvement audio, listen to Christian music, or make someone’s day through my words or actions.
