Liberian gets global ambassadorial post

A Liberian philanthropist, MacDella Cooper, has been selected among thousands of woman and men around the world as Global Ambassador for IMPACT Leadership 21.

IMPACT Leadership 21 is an innovative global platform dedicated to accelerating women’s leadership at the highest levels of influence in the 21st century.

The acronym IMPACT, represents Innovation, Multiculturalism, Passion, Attunement, Collaboration and Tenacity.

Ms. Cooper’s role as Global Ambassador for IMPACT 21 is to engage men as powerful tools for gender equality and lobby/advocate for gender parity at the top level with national governments, civil society organizations and global leaders.

She will also in collaboration with IMPACT 21 and global organizations provide tools, resources, opportunities and channels that equip women to succeed as leaders in a global environment thereby inspiring emerging global leaders to be catalysts for change.

MacDella Cooper is a Liberian, born in Monrovia in the late 1970s and was among thousands of Liberians who fled home during the 14 years long bloody war. She resided in Ivory Coast as a refugee and later went to the United States of America where she landed in the besieged streets of Newark, New Jersey; and attended the Barringer High School, coming 3rd in a class of 1,200 students.

Due to her eloquence and passion for excellence and self-development, Ms. Cooper received a full scholarship to the college of New Jersey and graduated with a degree in Electronic Communications.

After working with several multinational companies such as Marketing and Events Coordinator for Jones Apparel Group, she founded the MacDella Cooper Foundation (MCF) in 2004 as an international non-for-profit Charity organization to give hope and life to orphans and the less fortunate through the provision of educational opportunities and basic necessities in the land of her father’s birth, Liberia.

MacDella said: “I see it as a new challenge for her to open more doors of opportunities for women and inspire them to a greater height. I  called on women not to see themselves as followers, but leaders and urged women especially adolescent girls to engage society more positively and turn every situations into opportunities not just for themselves for at least for one other live.”

In an effort to fast track the goal of her vision, Ms. Cooper, in 2010 opened the MCF Academy; Liberia’s first tuition-free boarding school that provides quality education, safe and better livelihood for hundreds of children located in Charlesville, Margibi County, six miles from the Roberts International Airport.

I have never held onto my past. I am   today used as a motivational speaker around the world to inspire people who are going through the toughest moments this world has to offer.

The Liberian’s Beauty Opra and humanitarian run annual youth and adolescent girls’ development conferences in Liberia and the US. Some of these conferences include: She’s The Way Summit, The Liberia National Youth Leadership Conference and the Fashion for Peace Runway Show, among others.

In support of women and youth empowerment, MacDella had established the Teens & Youth Volunteer Club, and the Victoria’s Vocational Training and Wonder Ministry.

The Teens & Youth Volunteer Club offers services to institutions free of charge and its members get support through scholarship and personal development from Ms. Cooper.