Yakoob Badat, a doctoral graduate of Liberty University’s 2022 class, was born in Malawi, Africa. He moved to the United States in 1992 when he was just 13 years old. He eventually returned as a Peace Corps volunteer to Africa and currently works as an assistant principal at Lakewood Ohio School in, of course, Ohio.
One of his greatest accomplishments has been running and founding a not-for-profit organization called Nanze Children’s Services. There, they aim to improve the lives of students and families in rural Malawi. They provide livestock, water, and sanitation access by constructing water wells and toilets. Most recently, Nanze Children’s Services constructed a primary school that serves and educates 400 students from grades 1 through 8. His goal in starting this organization is to create a better future for children in his homeland (Cleveland.com, 2019).
The school is located in the Lilongwe region, which is the capital of Malawi. On the campus, they have also constructed toilets and boreholes to provide sanitation facilities and safe potable water for the community. In addition, they have provided the campus with solar electricity to ensure it is readily available for the students. In an interview from Cleveland.com, Yakoob speaks on his experience on being a part of this helpful organization, “…to be there and see the families and kids and just talk to them, it’s just so rewarding.”
For more information on Yakoob Badat and the impact Nanze Children’s Services has had, click here.