ALA alumnus, Eddie Ndopu (Class of 2008) has been appointed by the United Nations Secretary General as one of 17 high-profile Sustainable Development Goals Advocates, alongside two other long-term ALA supporters, Graça Machel and His Royal Highness, Muhammadu Sanusi II, Emir of Kano.
Born with a degenerative physical condition and not expected to live past the age of five, Eddie has exceeded expectations and outlived medical predictions, going on to achieve more than most of his peers could by the age of 29. Even before joining ALA as a member of our inaugural class in 2008, Eddie has been a fierce advocate for the rights of people living with disabilities, and has constantly sought to stretch and redefine the expectations of people like him.
Among his many achievements, Eddie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Carleton University in Canada, before studying and completing a Masters in Public Policy at Oxford University in the UK. After a stint with Amnesty International, he founded Evolve Initiative and has now been appointed by the United Nations Secretary General as a Sustainable Development Goals Advocate.
The principles at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are also what drive the new class of SDG Advocates. These 17 influential public figures are committed to raising awareness, inspiring greater ambition, and pushing for faster action on the SDGs, which were adopted by world leaders on 25 September 2015.
The SDG Advocates will use their unique platforms and leadership to inspire cross-cutting mobilization of the global community to accomplish the SDGs by 2030, and help build foundations for a thriving, peaceful, sustainable planet.
This young leader’s journey is far from over. As a well accomplished representative of Africa, Ndopu has a much bigger political statement to make around the world.
Learn more about Ndopu’s life and educational journey here: https://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/blog/eddie-ndopu-makes-space-historic-2018/
