The story of love, loss and triumph. The story of humanitarian, model and mother, Noëlla Coursaris Musunka.
THIS IS A TALE OF GENER-ational loss. A tale about how, at the tender age of five, a child lost everything she held dear. She lost her mother, her father, familiar surroundings and was relocated from the country she’d come to know as her home. However, in losing so much, she seemed to have gained everything and insists on sharing it with others.
After the death of her father, when Noëlla Coursaris Musunka was five years old, her mother could not afford to keep her and was forced to give her only child (at the time) away in hopes that she would get better opportunities. Musunka moved to Belgium, and later Switzerland, and was away for 13 years with very little communication with her mother back home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
“It was a tough time… I received two or three letters from my mom and spoke to her only twice on the phone,” says Musunka. On her return, at 18 years, she was so struck by the abject poverty that she vowed to contribute to the education of her brothers and sisters, and would give back to her country.
And she has done so in spectacular fashion.
Musunka has since had a flourishing career as a model and has graced the pages of fashion magazines like Vogue, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire and Elle. The exposure propelled her to pursue her passion for humanitarian and philanthropic work.
When asked about what accolades, such as the one she received from the Nelson Mandela Foundation (in November 2018) and the Enhle Cares Foundation, mean to her, Musunka beams and says: “It’s very special. I’m a pan-Africanist. I love Patrick Lumumba, I love Mandela, I love Sankara. I love all these revolutionary people… who want the best for Africa… The spirit of Mandela is [his] legacy. When people remember Noëlla, I want them to remember my legacy. And my legacy and my message is to give back.”
This story is from the March - May 2019 edition of Forbes Woman Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March - May 2019 edition of Forbes Woman Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Nothing To Wine About
Beth Malatji dropped out of varsity and now helps others start up their dream projects. She also has a wine business.
Ruling Her Space
Olajumoke Adenowo designs buildings for a living, but what she really wants is to put African architecture on the map.
Lights, Camera, Connie!
Connie Ferguson’s success on the small screen has won her millions of fans. She is now looking for billions in the business world.
‘Hear The Sound Of AFRICA'
Natasha Karugire’s debut film on the Ugandan bush war of the 1980s is about 27 guns and the 41 men who fought it, including her father, the country’s president Yoweri Museveni.
Making Up For A ‘Mistake'
The university dropout who went on to build a beauty business.
Along The Banks Of The Blue Nile
The Blue Nile pours out of Ethiopia’s Lake Tana as a gentle bubbling stream. Around is an ancient land with life-giving waters.
Food Security In Our Backyards
Small, resilient agricultural solutions that will save the environment and feed generations to come.
Barley On The Moon?
Africa has 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, and has the potential to become an agricultural hub by applying agri-tech and futurist thinking. Lessons from a Canadian food economy.
‘From Zero To Hero': The Queen Of The 800 Meters
Caster Semenya, the Olympian, on never quitting, come what may.
In Search Of Africa's Last Eden
Ramdas Iyer travels deep into the untouched Gabon rainforests to a cornucopia of natural wonders few have seen.
