NchimunyaWulf often felt like the only woman of color, growing up in the chiefly white space that was Denmark, and this partly inspired her to return to her roots in Zambia and build something meaningful there.
For Nchimunya Wulf, a Zambian Danish stylist and interior designer who has spent much of her life working with high-net-worth clients in New York, the inspiration to build schools in Zambia came from a deep place of personal sorrow. At 17, she lost her mother, and with that came a determination to return to Zambia — not just to reconnect with her roots, but to do something of purpose. “I wanted to do something bigger than my sorrow,” Wulf tells OkayAfrica. That “something” became 14+ Foundation, a nonprofit she co-founded with architect Joseph Mizzi that has built two schools in rural Zambia, serving over 250 children.
Wulf’s background as the only brown girl in her Danish community also played a role in shaping her drive to go back home and give back. Growing up, Wulf often felt different, with no one to mirror her identity. “I was born in Zambia. I grew up there, and in Congo, and in Kenya. When my parents separated, I moved to Denmark — and while it is a wonderful place, it’s 95 percent white.” Wulf didn’t realize she was different until she got older. “That experience of being ‘othered’ stuck with me. I think it’s part of why I wanted to go back to Zambia, to get in touch with my roots, and build something meaningful there.”
Building a school from scratch in rural Zambia was no easy task. Wulf and Mizzi’s partnership began with a chance encounter in New York, where she overheard him discussing a trip to Zambia. They connected over a shared dream, and soon after, Mizzi, an architect and construction expert, became her cofounder.
With Wulf and Mizzi based in New York, the daily operations and groundwork required reliable hands halfway across the world. Her aunt, who took on the role of community director, was instrumental in the project’s success. She worked closely with the local chiefs, secured land, and organized the local community’s involvement. “The community was eager for the school,” Wulf recalls, describing how they were welcomed with celebrations and even gifted chickens. The enthusiasm cemented their decision to move forward, and soon after, the foundation was laid for the first school — Chipakata Children’s Academy in 2015.
Nchimunya Wulf’s aunt worked closely with Wulf and involved the local community in the development of the school.
Photo by Nchimunya Wulf.
The impact of the school was immediate. For many of the children, it was the first time they had access to formal education. “They had never walked up stairs before,” Wulf says of the student’s first experience in the two-story building, complete with classrooms and a library.
Encouraged by the success of Chipakata Children’s Academy, Wulf and Mizzi built a second school — Mary Malambo School — in 2018, named in honor of her mother.
Central to Wulf’s approach has been the involvement of the local community. “We hired men from the village to help with construction,” she explains, noting how they worked alongside professionals from Lusaka. Additionally, a women’s club called Tiseko was established, promoting microfinancing and agriculture to create a sustainable ecosystem. “We buy from them to cook for the students, so now it’s a healthy ecosystem where the money flows within the community.”
In the early years, Wulf would travel to Zambia every six months, while Mizzi visited every three. Now that operations are running smoothly, Wulf makes the trip just once a year, confident in the strong system they’ve built. Today, the schools not only serve as educational hubs but have also become a source of pride, and an integral part of the community.
A journey of transformation
The work that Wulf has done in Zambia, the success of the schools, and the uplifting of the community, have provided a sense of closure for the grief Wulf has carried since losing her mother: “The opening of the school felt like my heart was healed in a way.”
Her dual life — splitting time between her career in New York and her work in rural Zambia — has been paradoxical, but in that seeming antithesis, a profound sense of balance has also bloomed. She acknowledges the contradictions in her life yet views them as complementary forces. “I think the purpose of life is to be useful,” she says. True giving, she continues, is the one that gives people knowledge. “And knowledge is freedom.” It’s this sense of purpose that has driven her, even when the work has been difficult.
The success of the first school, Chipakata Children’s Academy, reminded Wulf and Mizzi how important the work was, and inspired them to build Mwabwindo School.
Photo by Nchimunya Wulf.
Looking ahead
Another key aspect of 14+’s success is the support it has received from high-profile individuals, including NBA star Kevin Durant. Durant’s nonprofit partnered with Wulf to build a basketball court at the second school. “Basketball is huge in Africa now, and having Kevin [Durant]’s support is incredible.” The court, designed by renowned artist Rashid Johnson, will give children in Zambia the chance to engage in sports at a professional level.
Fundraising is also an essential part of keeping the foundation’s projects running. Each year, 14+ Foundation hosts its Annual Cocktail Benefit in New York, with this year’s edition taking place on October 29. Proceeds from the event will go into supporting the schools’ operations and other community-based projects.
As 14+ continues to flourish, Wulf has her sights set on expanding the schools to the rest of the continent. Her dream doesn’t begin and end with education, however; she is also passionate about improving access to healthcare, particularly for women and girls in rural areas. “I want to build mobile clinics, like Planned Parenthood on Wheels, that travel to rural areas to help women and girls.”
If this all sounds exceptionally ambitious, it’s because Wulf is an exceptionally ambitious, chronically positive thinker who describes herself as “eternally optimistic.” “I tell myself there’s nothing I can’t do,” she says. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
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