Special Consultative Status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2018
About Us
"Na we Afrika" is in Pidgin English and means “We are Africa.”
Nawee Afrika Education Foundation was born out of educational projects our founders carried out in Africa for over a decade.
Africa’s vitality, vibrancy, and diversity inspired our embrace of multiplicity and difference.
Our founders' experiences in Africa and the United States inspired our mission to serve underserved students in both continents.
Our story began in 2002 when brothers Dee and Gideon, children of lifelong educators, started organizing educational activities to support students in Cameroon, Africa.
This passion project, later named Educate a Child in Africa, eventually evolved into Nawee Afrika.
Gideon attending the Impact Africa Social Entrepreneurship Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, 2018.
Dee participating in a family engagement certification training at Harvard University in 2015.
Our Work Over Time
We organized hundreds of school and community programs for children and youth.
We supported parents in the education of their children.
We collaborated with teachers to innovate pedagogy.
We partnered with other organizations to support students, parents, and teachers.
OUR TEAM
55+ years of combined experience in nonprofit education work.
Gideon A. Asaah
CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Buea, Cameroon
An Ashoka fellow and Cameroon’s Building Bridges Ambassador in 2014, Gideon was the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Educate a Child in Africa, where he worked closely with thousands of students, parents, teachers, and school administrators in Cameroon for over 10 years. His 20 years of social entrepreneurship includes work at at Heifer Project International (HPI) and the Organization for Gender, Civic Engagement, and Youth Development (OGCEYOD) as well as collaborations with UNICEF, Plan International Cameroon, Voice of Women Initiative (VOW), Girls Excel, Building Bridges Foundation, and Cameroon's Ministries of Social Affairs and Secondary Education.
Dee Asaah, PhD
CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Los Angeles, California
Dee’s work is guided by 15+ years of experience as an educator and his award-winning research on teaching underserved students. Winner of The Thomas Small Prize at Harvard University in 2017 and The Jolley Bruce Christman and Steven S. Goldberg Annual Award for Best Dissertation in Urban Education from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) in 2023, he co-founded and led Educate a Child in Africa, supporting thousands of students, parents, and teachers in Cameroon. He worked with Dr. Vivian Gadsden at UPenn, researching the civic engagement activities of diverse youth, and researched issues of educational access and equity alongside Dr. Gerald Campano (UPenn), Dr. María Paula Ghiso (Columbia University), and underserved communities in South Philadelphia. Dee is a lecturer at UPenn and has over a decade of management experience in the for-profit corporate world.
Nnenna Nwachuku
FOUNDING BOARD TREASURER / CO-BUILDER
Los Angeles, California
Nnenna Nwachuku brings 15 years of education leadership expertise improving learning outcomes and increasing access to quality education. She has launched and managed schools, created and implemented strategic planning, and trained teachers and academic leaders. As a Founding Head of School at Nova Pioneer Schools, she gained valuable experience in achieving operational excellence at Pre-K to 12 institutions. She served as an advisor to the Nelson Mandela Institute for Development Studies and has served on several school boards to drive educational equity. She currently consults with purpose driven organizations to scale impact and innovations in the education ecosystem. Nnenna holds a BA from Duke University, a MS in Education from University of Pennsylvania GSE, along with certifications from HBS and Harvard GSE. She is a fellow of AWEC, an initiative of the Center for Global Enterprise. She currently serves on the board of Levo International and is an advisor for InnerView Education.
Ramel Racelis
FOUNDING BOARD PRESIDENT / CO-BUILDER
New York, New York
Ramel brings two decades of leadership and project management experience, including over 13 years in the nonprofit sector. Before joining Nawee Afrika, he co-founded the Philippine American Unity for Progress and the Seedlr Foundation in New York and also worked with Educate a Child in Africa. He served as a Teaching Assistant at Harvard University's Summer School and as a Math Teacher for Columbia Impact. Holding a master's degree in Sustainability & Environmental Management from Harvard University, he is a LEED O+M Accredited Professional and a certified project manager from the PMI Institute.
Kezie Nwachuku Thompson
NAWEE AFRIKA INTERN
Los Angeles, California
Kezie is a high school senior at Wildwood School in Los Angeles, California. She values supporting students in historically marginalized communities and hopes to incorporate this passion into her future pursuits. She has assisted in classrooms at Nova Pioneer Schools in South Africa and was a literacy coach at Braddock Elementary in LA, helping young learners improve their literary skills. In 2023, she volunteered for a service learning trip to Guatemala, where she helped construct a home for a disadvantaged family. This experience, which involved learning from and supporting local elementary and high school students, solidified Kezie’s dedication to community service and motivated her work at Nawee Afrika.
