TRAILBLAZER BY CHARNDRÉ EMMA KIPPIE
E D W A R D ( E D D I E ) N DO P U :
Reinventing Activism Globally T o be an advocate for global change means thinking out of the box and reimagining a world where all people flourish. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, Edward Ndopu, follows this philosophy, using his platform as an activist to envision a world that doesn’t exist just yet.
DEFEATING THE ODDS Eddie Ndopu, born in Namibia and raised in the Western Cape, was diagnosed with a severe degenerative condition known as spinal muscular atrophy, when he was just 2 years old. His family was warned that he would have only five years left to live. Surprisingly, Ndopu defied all odds and survived through it all. This was symbolic of his very first steps into advocacy and using his adversity to inspire the world. Now, almost 29 years later, Ndopu is celebrated as a warrior for human rights. “Advocacy really emerges from one’s personal lived experience”, Ndopu said. “It starts with advocating for oneself.” Today, Ndopu is a South African award-winning activist, humanitarian, and public intellectual. He is also one of seventeen eminent global advocates appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the Sustainable Development Goals. He has also served as a Special Advisor to RTW Investments — a leading investor in scientific and medical innovation. Aside from this, Edward Ndopu holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Oxford University, and has previously been invited to advise organisations such as the World Economic Forum, UN Women and Amnesty International. He also founded the Global Strategy on Inclusive Education, at the African Leadership Academy — an institution at the forefront of advancement and dialogue in international education and leadership through its membership of several bodies and is an independent school accredited and authorised by global organisations.
28 | Public Sector Leaders | November 2021
