# Noel Alumona

Noel Ifeanyi Alumona (Emmanuel Alumona) (born October 1, 1992) is a special education expert working with Metro Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee. He is the founder of Hope for African Children, and also the Boys Champions, a nonprofit boy-child advocacy organization that partners with the UN Women and Nigeria's Ministry of Gender and Women Affairs. Alumona's work with his organization led to his being the first African recipient of the $10,000 American Field Service (AFS) Award for Young Global Citizens at the 2022 AFS Youth Assembly, part of the AFS Intercultural Programs. He is an Obama Foundation Fellow, United States Institute of Peace Fellow, and United Nations Youth Assembly Delegate. He was also shortlisted for the $100,000 Global Student Prize.

## Early life and education

Alumona was born on October 1, 1992, to Mr. Godwin and Mrs. Felicita Alumona. He is a native of Udenu LGA, Enugu State, Nigeria. A rape incident he witnessed as a child defined his resolve to impact positively on youths. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy (Philosophy of Education) from the Pontificia Universitas Urbaniana, Rome, Italy. He received a certificate of completion from the social entrepreneurship summer program at the University of Connecticut, USA. He then proceeded to Peabody College of education and human development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, for a master's degree programme. He earned a Master of Special Education & Teaching (M.Ed.) from Vanderbilt University.

## Career

From June 2012 to May 2014, Alumona was the Head of School and 5th Grade Class Teacher at Madonna Primary School in Enugu. From July 2013 to August 2014, he volunteered as Community Event Co-Lead for UNICEF in Enugu. In October 2013, he established Hope for African Children in Abuja, Nigeria, and ran the organization until 2018, providing mentorship to vulnerable children and organizing teacher development programs. He participated in the Obama Foundation, African Leaders Training Program, Johannesburg, South Africa, July 2018. Through this, he met Barack Obama in Johannesburg, South Africa. This encounter inspired him to create the Boys Champions initiative on October 1, 2018. He was selected for the Clinton Foundation, Clinton Global Initiative for Young Leaders, Nashville, United States, March 2023; AFS Intercultural Programs, Youth Advisory Council Member, New York, September 2022 to September 2023; United States Institute of Peace, Fellowship with Dalai Lama, Dharamshala, India, September 2022; British Council Partner Schools Global Network, Training Facilitator, Oakland, Enugu, May 2019; The Youth Assembly Delegate; and Global Young Leaders Conference, New York, August 2022. He read an address on the effects of climate change to youths from 103 countries at the UN International Youth Day, 2023.

## Recognition

He is a recipient of the AFS Award for Young Global Citizens at the 2022 AFS Youth Assembly, becoming the first African to win the award. He received commendations from the former president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari and the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa. The government of Enugu State also began plans to partner with him on community services. Alumona also received the African Youth Award; the Nigerian Goodwill Ambassador Award; Volunteer of the Year Award by Appreciate Africa Network, Beijing, China.