Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) has appointed the founder Slum2School Africa and a renowned education reformer from Nigeria, Orondaam Otto to its Alumni Board.

The US National Security Fellow, Susan Davenport, Founder of Indo Jubu, Judith Bunnel, Chief Medical Director of Jersey Medical Center, Ijeoma Akunyili amongst others were equally appointed.

Disclosing this in a statement, the Harvard Kennedy School via its website opined: “Congratulations to the newest members of the HKS Alumni Board! We are excited to welcome these eight alumni to the Board when their four year terms begin on July 1, 2024.”

Describing the operations of the board, the school said: “It is a working board that operates in close partnership with the alumni relations office, with information and recommendations provided by the director of alumni relations, the dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, and other senior administrators at HKS. “Give preference to work on initiatives that align directly with the dean’s and/or ARRD’s priorities for the school and alumni relations, not merely your own interests.

“Participate in selecting winners for the annual HKS alumni awards. Attend any HKS alumni events in your city/region (if applicable) to represent the alumni board. “Recommend prospective students and share job or internship opportunities for current students when available. Seek out and encourage talented alumni to consider running for the Board in the next election cycle.”

Orondaam’s backgound

Orondaam is also an Edward Mason Fellow, a Lucius Litteaur Fellow, a LEAP Africa Social Innovator Fellow and a Mandela Washington Fellow. He is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, where he earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration, and an advanced certification in Public Policy, Management and Leadership. At Harvard, Otto was awarded the prestigious Erik Yankah awards and Lucius Litteaur awards for his outstanding leadership. He served as the Co-Chair of the African Caucus and equally serves on the board of the Harvard Kennedy School Black Alumni Board.

His organization, Slum2School Africa, has worked with over 45,300 volunteers across 75 countries to support 723,500 children across Nigeria. Recently incorporated in the United States of America, Slum2School Africa now has communities of impact across over 10 African countries and plans to expand its work to serve more disadvantaged children within the continent.

Appreciation

Speaking on the appointment, he said, “I am deeply honored to join the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board. The confidence placed in me is highly cherished and I hope to maximize the opportunity to champion community building initiatives and ensure diversity and representation in our decision-making. I plan to learn from other members while contributing ideas to increase alumni engagement in Africa and work towards creating equitable opportunities for all. I believe in the power of collaborative efforts and by bringing diverse perspectives together, we can drive meaningful and sustainable change for our global community.”

What the Alumni Board is all about

The Alumni Board is made up of several working committees which focus on engagement, connections, celebration and recognition, board governance, and communications.

The Board engages the global alumni community to champion the HKS mission, increase alumni engagement with one another and the School, lead the Alumni Association in pursuit of its purpose and goals, extend and enhance the Alumni Relations Office programs and communications, and advise the Dean on alumni perspectives.