Marie da Silva | |
---|---|
Nationality | Malawian |
Occupation | nanny |
Known for | AIDS activist |
Marie da Silva is a Malawian AIDS activist and founder of the Jacaranda Foundation from Chembomba, Malawi. [1]
Da Silva was born in Malawi but lost 15 of her relatives including two brothers and her father to AIDS. [2] She moved to the United States in order to work as a nanny in Los Angeles, California for actress Ricki Lake. [3] [4] [5] In 2002, she learned that her school in Chembomba was about to close. [1] She asked her mother to temporarily host classes in their family home so that the children could receive an education. She started funding the school with a third of her nanny pay and set up the Jacaranda Foundation to give free schooling to AIDS orphans in Malawi. [4] [6] When her mother died, she approached French businessman Luc Deschamps for help running the school, which he assisted by becoming the director. [1]
The Jacaranda School eventually grew to over 400 students specializing in arts where she also teaches. [7] In 2008, da Silva was recognized by American broadcaster CNN as one of their 2008 CNN Heroes for her work in Malawian education. [4]
Marie da Silva | |
---|---|
Nationality | Malawian |
Occupation | nanny |
Known for | AIDS activist |
Marie da Silva is a Malawian AIDS activist and founder of the Jacaranda Foundation from Chembomba, Malawi. [1]
Da Silva was born in Malawi but lost 15 of her relatives including two brothers and her father to AIDS. [2] She moved to the United States in order to work as a nanny in Los Angeles, California for actress Ricki Lake. [3] [4] [5] In 2002, she learned that her school in Chembomba was about to close. [1] She asked her mother to temporarily host classes in their family home so that the children could receive an education. She started funding the school with a third of her nanny pay and set up the Jacaranda Foundation to give free schooling to AIDS orphans in Malawi. [4] [6] When her mother died, she approached French businessman Luc Deschamps for help running the school, which he assisted by becoming the director. [1]
The Jacaranda School eventually grew to over 400 students specializing in arts where she also teaches. [7] In 2008, da Silva was recognized by American broadcaster CNN as one of their 2008 CNN Heroes for her work in Malawian education. [4]