The Georges Malaika Foundation is a 501(3)(c) organization, whose volunteer based staff, works tirelessly to educate young Congolese girls, who have been deprived of education.

GMF currently sponsors 16 girls in the D.R. Congo's province of Katanga. These girls, all of which have been cast from their homes as a result of sorcery accusations or a mere inability to be supported by their families, are provided with full tuition costs, meals, uniforms, and school supplies.

The foundation celebrated the laying of the first stone for The Georges Malaika Foundation School, which was placed by Khaliah Ali (daughter of Muhammad Ali, who fought the famed "Rumble in the Jungle" in Congo 35 years ago). The school, designed by studioMDA is set to open at the end of 2010/2011.

Most recently, GMF partnered with the students of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, which was led by Professor Markus Dochantschi and studioMDA. Georges Malaika hosted the students in Congo, where they were welcomed with open arms. The students created architectural educational models based on their experience of Congolese culture and information sessions with local Congolese government figures, NGOs, diplomats, teachers, the mining business community, architects, villages,museums...

Though based out of New York City, Georges Malaika Foundation's growing presence is alive in countries across the globe and has earned respect and an influential voice with The United Nations and various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

GMF founder and CEO, Noella Coursaris, Congolese/Cypriot international model and humanitarian will be joined by GMF's Director, Congolese Alain Pakabomba, at James Cohan Gallery to share their gratitude and goals with GMF supporters.
For more information on Georges Malaika Foundation please visit www.gmfafrica.org

Matthew Bishop

Matthew Bishop is the US Business Editor and New York Bureau Chief of The Economist. Mr. Bishop was previously the magazine's London-based Business Editor. His new book, The Road from Ruin: How to Renew Capitalism and Put America Back on Top, with Michael Green, will be published by Crown in February 2010.

Philanthrocapitalism, his previous book (also with Green) on the global revolution under way in philanthropy, has been described as "terrific" by The New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, and as the "definitive guide to a new generation of philanthropists who understand innovation and risk-taking, and who will play a crucial part in solving the biggest problems facing the world" by New York's Mayor and leading philanthropist Michael Bloomberg. According to former U.S President Bill Clinton, "This is an important book. Our interdependent world is too unequal, unstable, and, because of climate change, unsustainable. We have to transform it into one of shared responsibilities, shared opportunities, and a shared sense of community. Bishop and Green show us how to do it." Mr. Bishop is also the author of Essential Economics, the official Economist layperson's guide to economics.

Mr. Bishop is the author of several of The Economist's special report supplements, including most recently A Bigger World, which examines the opportunities and challenges of the rise of emerging economies and firms; The Business of Giving, which looks at the industrial revolution taking place in philanthropy; Kings of Capitalism, which anticipated and analyzed the recent boom in private equity; and Capitalism and its Troubles, an examination of the impact of problems such as the collapse of Enron. In 1994, he wrote an acclaimed special report on corporate governance, Watching the Boss.

Before joining The Economist, Mr. Bishop was on the faculty of London Business School, where he co-authored three books for the Oxford University Press on subjects ranging from privatization and regulation to corporate mergers. Prior to that, Mr. Bishop was educated at Oxford University. He has served as a member of the Sykes Commission on the investment system in the 21st century. Mr. Bishop was also on the Advisors Group of the United Nations International Year of Microcredit 2005. Mr. Bishop has been honored as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He has been interviewed on numerous media outlets, including NPR, BBC, CNBC, and the Charlie Rose show.

studioMDA

studioMDA is honored to be a part of the Georges Malaika Foundation’s effort to build a school near Lubumbashi. Markus Dochantshi and Chad Kellogg of studioMDA also worked closely with GMF when they brought a group of Graduate Students of Architecture at Columbia University to the Congo in October of last year. The goal of the trip and the semester long design studio was to address a series of questions about the prospect of building new schools in Sub-Saharan Africa, including: What can architectural knowledge contribute to a country and society that is in the process of rebuilding and remaking itself? What educational institutions, spaces and building typologies facilitate the process of renewal? How should architects position their expertise and their work in the current global development debate?

To address these questions, the studio had to rethink the list and configuration of programs normally associated with educational institutions. They studied the local context and the region as a whole in order to make decisions about the scale, distribution and orientation of a model educational institution. The studio endeavored to address the concerns of its non-profit advisors and challenge their existing preconceptions. Finally, the students have advance bold and potentially Utopian designs and brought a pragmatic approach to their final presentation.

StudioMDA is currently working on the design of two schools in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to the Georges Malaika Foundation School in Lubumbashi, StudioMDA is designing the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls in Lilongwe, Malawi in collaboration with Madonna. The RMAG program includes a Library and Administration building, Dining Hall, Gymnasium, Wellness Center, Sports Field, 30 Classrooms, 12 Dormitories and 18 Staff Houses on a 46 hectare site.

The design of both schools utilizes cutting edge environmental analysis with appropriate technologies to achieve a range of sustainability goals such as passive ventilation, and natural light. Most construction materials are sourced locally, such as Hydraform bricks, made from soil on site, avoiding the use of burned bricks which have been largely responsible for wide spread deforestation in Africa.

Double roofs catch the breeze and induce natural ventilation. Large over hangs on the roofs create ample outdoor shaded space and prevent direct light from striking the glazing and heating up the interior of the building. Computer light level simulations have defined the geometry of the classroom roofs and clerestory windows, creating optimal light levels and diffusion for learning.

Photovoltaic panels contribute to the school’s energy independents. Constructed wetlands will clean the black and grey water generated by the school, allowing it to be used for landscape irrigation and educational agricultural. A rainwater catchment system will collect water for small student gardens and other learning landscapes. The “learning landscapes,” and educational agriculture areas will educate the students on a range of ecosystems in their region and help them develop the future of sustainable agriculture in Africa.

Markus Dochantschi founded studioMDA in New York 2002. studioMDA’s approach is to creatively engage all parties at the very beginning, forming an inspirational collaboration in defining architecture. Calling a wide range of consultants beyond the architect’s typical collaborative, studioMDA has teamed with artists, video artists, and choreographers, among others to define space generated by various artistic endeavors. Within this context, architectural syntax can become layered into micro and macro scales, balancing the smallest detail with the topographical/ urban fabric.

Markus Dochantschi was trained in Germany, where he graduated in 1995. Before founding studioMDA in New York in 2002, he worked with Arata Isozaki and Fumihiko Maki in Tokyo, and from 1995 to 2002 with Zaha Hadid in London. He taught the Advanced Studio at Yale University with Zaha Hadid, Stefan Behnisch and Gerald Hines, and taught the Advanced Studio in 2008 and 2009 at Columbia University, GSAPP. He was a Guest Lecturer at the GSD, at Harvard University. He has been guest critic at the AA London; Columbia University, NY; The Cooper Union, NY; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Princeton University, Princeton; the ETH Zurich, Switzerland; the Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst Vienna, Austria

Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning,
and Design

Students of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Design, overseen by Studio MDA, were given a task of designing culturally relevant and aesthetically coherent school systems for D.R. Congo that would creatively address some of Congo’s persistent problems. After ten days of consultations with the education ministry, agriculture ministry, local and international NGOs, diplomats, teachers, museum personnel, architects and the mining business community, the delegation of twelve students presented their months of work on proposed educational models to Moise Katumbi, governor of Katanga province, met with strong praise: "In all my days as governor this is the best presentation I have ever seen."

Upon their return to The U.S, designs were presented and critiqued in an arduous set of review panel discussions. Marc Leverant and Robert Passov were awarded first place for their educational design model for orphans in a competition sponsored by The Socio Design Foundation.

Khaliah Ali

Khaliah Ali has successfully carved out a diverse and well-defined path of her own, but like her father, Muhammad Ali, is committed to helping people around the world.

Among her numerous philanthropic activities are serving as board member of Big Brothers/Big Sisters International; on-air spokesperson for Youth at Risk, Inc.; Advisory Board Member and spokesperson for Help, USA; chairwoman for the Friends of The Statue of Liberty Foundation; director of development for the Urban Retrievers Program; youth entertainment consultant to the ElizabethPediatric Aids Foundation; and senior staff member with the Job Core Program, Inc.
She recently traveled to the Congo with model Noella Coursaris Musunka to celebrate the 35th anniversary of her father's fight there versus George Foreman. She also visited the site of Georges Malaika School's for girls and participated in a ceremony with Governor Moise Katumbi of Katanga to lay the school's first stone. Khaliah's visit was chronicled by numerous outlets globally including CNN and Agence

France Presse

A former FORD Model, Khaliah is committed to helping young women develop and nurture positive self-image and self-esteem. She shared her lifelong struggle and triumph in controlling and maintaining a healthy body weight in her enormously successful book, Fighting Weight (HarperCollins). An in-demand motivational speaker on weight issues, Khaliah has shared this message coast-to-coast as a spokesperson for Allergen Pharmaceutical’s Moment of Truth Campaign, which strives to identify solutions to the continuing national obesity problem.

With a fine eye for detail, design and presentation, Khaliah is also the creator of Diversity by Khaliah Ali, a plus size fashion collection created for the Home Shopping Network. The launch proved so successful that she has expanded her collection and now designs an additional line for Simplicity sewing patterns.

Khaliah has also worked on a number of television programs whose subjects range from sports, fashion, childrens’ rights, to young adult issues. She has reported for ESPN’s Cold Pizza and was host of the weekly BET teen roundtable program Teen Summit. Khaliah received an Emmy Award nomination for hosting Education is Paramount, a Philadelphia based public affairs weekly broadcast.

For more information please contact
Anthea Gray at Anthea.Gray@gmalaikaf.org