Perreault Magazine - 38 -
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NOELLA COURSARIS
Top Model Gives Back
To The Congo’s Women and Children
A WOMAN WITH A CAUSE
“I have two kids of my own, and GMF is my 3rd. I say this as my involvement in GMF is a lifetime commitment that fills me with pride.”
– Noella Coursaris
Noella Coursaris has a special place for her native Democratic Republic of Congo in her heart. Born to a Congolese mother and Cypriot father in Lubumbashi, Congo, Noella uses her high-profile image to give back and help the Congolese girls.
Named in memory of Noella Coursaris Musunka’s father, Georges, and the Swahili word malaika, for ‘angel’, the mission of the Georges Malaika Foundation (GMF) is to empower Congolese girls and their communities through education."I was born in Lubumbashi, but received my education in Europe after my father passed away when I was 5 years old and my mother was no longer able to care for me. Upon returning to my country after a 13-year separation, I was struck by the contrasts I found, underscoring my gratitude for my education and experiences in Europe, but also my empathy for my counterparts back home," explains Coursaris. Noella was schooled in Belgium before moving to London as a teenager, where she was discovered after winning a modeling competition. The international success of her modeling career enabled Noella to establish the Georges Malaika Foundation in 2007, “to empower young Congolese women to rise above the violence of war and make a positive contribution to their society."