Written By Kendesi Mohammed
I have never been to Africa, but after meeting Ifunanya Enezuagu, I feel a strong pull to go to live there, give back, and capture its beauty through photography. Talking to her made me realize that I want to pour my soul into helping Africa grow.
I first met Ifunanya at the Style Mixer and Networking Event hosted by Eze Okwodu and Stanlion. We only spoke briefly, but even in that short conversation, I could feel the depth of her dream to educate, empower, and change lives in Africa. Through her eyes, I saw something bigger than just a dream; I saw the future of Nigeria and the entire continent.
Our next meeting was at Panera Bread in Beltsville, Maryland. This time, we spoke for hours. I got to know her on a deeper level and learned more about her journey in the hospitality industry and the work she is doing with Mighty Minds Africa. Listening to her, I could not help but believe in her ideas, her mission, and her vision.
I started imagining Africa not just as a place, but as a hub of innovation. I saw it as the future of AI, major tech companies, space travel, and tourism. I realized that many of the industries shaping the world today, space exploration, tech, and energy, cannot thrive without Africa. The continent has the resources and minerals that the world depends on.
Thinking about space travel, I pictured companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Rocket Lab launching rockets, while Axiom Space and Sierra Space work on commercial space stations, and innovators like Relativity Space print rockets in 3D. Traditional aerospace players like Boeing and Northrop Grumman partner with NASA to make all this possible. And yet, all of this depends on the minerals Africa supplies, cobalt, lithium, copper, gold, aluminum, titanium, platinum. Africa is central to this new era of human progress.
Mighty Minds Africa, founded by Ifunanya, is working to ensure African youth are not left behind. They create opportunities for education, skill-building, employment, and community development. They nurture young people to pursue their ideas with confidence, become leaders in their communities, and break the cycle of poverty. I could see the pride in her eyes when she spoke about the youth she is impacting.
Ifunanya began this work in 2016, driven by her passion to foster innovation and leadership in African youth. Her mission is clear: empower young people to embrace innovative thinking and take purposeful action.
Meeting her has been inspiring. I cannot wait for our next conversation, to learn more about Africa, Nigeria, and how together we might help change the world. I left feeling hopeful, energized, and certain that Ifunanya is ahead of her time, doing amazing things with a team both at home and here in the U.S.
#africa #kendesimedia #IfunanyaEnezuagu