We are
WHAIafrica
It all started by standing with the neglected and stigmatized - working as Couple/HIV counselors, we came in contact with PLHIV, who had given up hope in life- on marriage, career, business, education, human rights etc. They faced discrimination and stigmatization even from families and healthcare workers; expulsion from school; loss of jobs, businesses, family disintegration etc. Their plights ignited our passion; their predicament touched us and, thus, moved us seek for more skills on how to upturn the potentials in them and transform their lives, change the negative experiences they undergo and make them productive in life so they be able to afford their basic/health needs and enjoy life like every other person.
WHAIafrica journeyed with HIV infected persons we came in contact with through which we impacted about 4000 of them. Decline in new HIV infection occurred; however, there is need to manage those already infected and affected who suffer socio-economic challenges and have no sustainable means of income. Hence our project expanded to capacity building and providing employment/empowerment opportunities to indigent PLHIV and women and youth living in disadvantaged communities.
The goal is to educate, empower and provide entrepreneurial opportunities. WHAIafrica is addressing gaps in the provision of capacity building resources for youth in disadvantaged communities, thus providing a platform designed to inspire, motivate, mentor and empower them to achieve their best and become financially independent and exceptional leaders.
WHAIafrica is registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC/IT/N0 68226) and Ministry of Women Affairs in Anambra, Borno and Adamawa States.
In the past years, WHAIafrica without any formal grant has impacted lives of the poor living with HIV/AIDS and won two global awards doing so.
ORGANIZATIONAL SET-UP
WHAIafrica has engaged professionals and people who work together towards common goals in accordance to making the world a better place for the PLHIV and vulnerable communities.
The organization is headed by an Executive Director who carries out field projects with the coordinating team and reports to the board of trustees and advisory board.
The Advisory board is the idea-engines of WHAIafrica. The members give pro bono expertise advise on fund raising, technical assistance, assessment of a program's impact and serving as a public advocate for WHAIafrica.
The Board of Trustees studies critically each of WHAIafrica's program to its full potential. Identify how best they should be run; issue orders and giving directives, as well as keeping eyes on performances.
The Coordinating Team assists in the implementation of planned activities. The team lead is responsible for the proper execution of project activities. Capacity-building of the staff and volunteers involved is an important aspect within the organizational setup.
VISION
Equipped and financially independent slum/rural based youth and PLHIV who are exceptional leaders and entrepreneurs
MISSION
To improve lives of slum/rural based youth and PLHIV through capacity building, venture creation and access to resources
Board of Trustees
DR. AGADA GODSWILL - is a public Health Specialist with sixteen years of cumulative and progressive practical experience in clinical practice and humanitarian work with International and Indigenous organizations as well as years of international experience in a developing country. He has Fourteen years’ experience in providing programmatic and technical assistance to USAID, CDC and Global Fund supported public Health programs in Nigeria.
UDEGBOKA NKECHI (Ada Africa) is an Empowerment Strategist, Counselor, Mentor, Creative Writer and Designer, Enterprise Developer and Leadpreneur. She is certified in Entrepreneurship Management from both Northwestern University, USA and Pan Atlantic University, Lagos. She also underwent an Executive Program on Non-Profit Leadership and Management from the Lagos Business School. She acquired other developmental training on Leadership, Management and Sustainability.
Nkechi is a Mandela Washington Fellow; VVLead Fellow, PEPFAR Fellow, World Bank WomenX Scholar, WeConnect Nigeria Ambassador, and belongs to a couple of professional networks. She has reviewed business plans and selected finalists for grants to help them startup or expand their enterprise. She teaches entrepreneurship and mentors many startup entrepreneurs.
DR. LADY PATRICIA OKEKE is a renowned educationist and a product of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Columbia International University South Carolina U.S.A. and Anointed University Johannesburg South-Africa. Driven by the passion to continually contribute to the educational needs of the down trodden and her uncommon love for children, established a school. She rose to the zenith and became the President of Organisation Mondale Pour L’ Education Prescolaire (OMEP) for 6 years.
Dr. Lady Okeke obtained many honours and awards in appreciation for her matchless philanthropy. She is highly contemplative and always reaching out to the rich and the poor, with equal respect and utmost humility. She is married to Chief Dr. Sir Godwin Ubaka Okeke (GUO), a renowned philanthropist, a business mogul and a transporter of repute.
CHIEF GODWIN UMENWA is a huge time entrepreneur who has attended many business training both within and outside Nigeria. He transfers the same knowledge to the youth through mentoring and giving financial support to help grow their startup businesses. Through his philanthropy acts, many indigent youths are having access to education and better life. He has received awards and recognition from reputable groups including Rotary International, churches etc. Chief Umenwa exhibits Christian attitude and happily married with children.
EZEGBUNAM AMAKA HELEN is an educationist, a researcher and an explorer who believes there is no single approach that works for everyone. Being a teacher and educationist, she has years of experience working with girls and children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Advisory Board
ELSAMARIE D’SILVA is the Founder of Red Dot Foundation (India) and President of Red Dot Foundation Global (USA). Her platform Safecity, crowdsources personal experiences of sexual violence and abuse in public spaces and has become the largest crowd map on the issue in India and abroad.
ElsaMarie is a 2020 Gratitude Network Fellow, 2019 IWF Fellow and a Reagan Fascell Fellow, a 2018 Yale World Fellow and an alumni of the Stanford Draper Hills Summer School, the US State Department’s Fortune Mentoring Program, Oxford Chevening Gurukul and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Leadership Program. She is also a fellow with Rotary Peace, Aspen New Voices, Vital Voices and a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader.
She is listed as one of BBC Hindi’s 100 Women and has won several awards including #WomenTransformingIndia award and The Digital Woman Award in Social Impact by SheThePeople. In 2017, she was awarded the Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices in the presence of Secretary Hillary Clinton. She is also the recipient of Gold Stevie Award for Female Executive of the Year - Government or NonProfit -10 or Less Employees in 2016.
She has penned articles that have appeared in CNN, Huffington Post, WIP amongst others. She has been a panelist for World Bank, NDI, USIP, SheThePeople and hosted a roundtable at the Bloomberg CityLab London.
DR. ASSUMPTA OBY CHIKE works as a Physician Associate in Maryland, USA. She likes volunteering, traveling, spending time with friends and family, and enjoys engaging in medical missions. She is happily married with children.
BARR. WINIFRED OTOKHINA is a Lawyer with over seven years of experience in Corporate and Commercial Law. She provides advisory services to corporate organizations, helping companies and organizations to achieve corporate sustainability.
Barr. Winifred is an Associate member of Business Recovery and Insolvency Practitioners Association of Nigeria (BRIPAN) and the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators. Winifred has been at the forefront of advocating for People living with Sickle Cell Disorder in Nigeria.
She is a Mandela Washington Fellow, highly motivated and passionate about inspiring people to be the best version of themselves. She joins WHAIafrica team as the Legal Advisory Officer.
EMILY J. HART is a Business Development Specialist interested in empowering and developing small sustainable businesses that make the world a better place. Emily is a Canadian residing in the USA and works as Director of Business Development for her family's woman-owned chair manufacturing company Seating Inc.
ONUNNA ANYIWO IFII is a Program Manager with over 17 years of service in the Department of Veterans Affairs, USA. She is a United States Navy Veteran and served tours in Florida and Rota, Spain. She is passionate about supporting and promoting nonprofit organizations that have sound, transparent, and trustworthy mission and projects that uplift women and children in disadvantaged communities. She willingly shares ideas, resources, and recommendations with individuals and organizations. She is married with three children and lives in Florida, USA.