The GEANCO Foundation mission is simple: to save and improve the lives of vulnerable women and children in Nigeria through developing world class medical, education, and athletic facilities. Their hope is the end result will empower Nigerians to strengthen their own communities.
BCG had the honor of interviewing GEANCO’s Chief Operating Officer, Afam Onyema.
Tell me more about the GEANCO? How did it get started? What drives your passion behind your charity?
The story of GEANCO is a story of both Fathers and Sons and Mothers and Children. The Foundation began with a promise my dad made to his own father over thirty years ago. My dad, emphasizing the importance of his education. Inspired by the belief my grandfather had in him, my dad was accepted into one of the top boarding schools in the country. It was there that my dad came into contact with a British missionary doctor who cared for he and his classmates so diligently and compassionately (and completely in her free time) that she instilled in my dad a deep and abiding love of medicine and saving lives.
With a full scholarship from the Nigerian government, my dad attended medical school. As he prepared to leave Nigeria to begin his OB/GYN medical residency in the United States, he promised his own father that he would soon return to build a hospital for their family and community. Augustine had poured everything he had into my dad, instilling into him a joy of learning and a steadfast and passionate belief that, despite his modest circumstances, he could accomplish anything in this life.
My father and mother settled in Chicago, Illinois. Once there, dad felt compelled to remain and delay his return to Nigeria so that he could provide my three siblings and me with all the amazing opportunities this country has to offer. Dad was ever mindful of his promise, however. He spent every day of his life sharing it with his family and friends. He put his kids through Princeton (my older brother, Gozie), Harvard (me), Georgetown (my sister, Ebele) and Boston College (my younger sister, Nche). As Nche left school, my father threw himself into his fulfilling his pledge. As a family, we created The GEANCO Foundation in 2005. “GEANCO” is a compilation of the initials of each member of the Onyema family.
Our Foundation continues with a promise another son made to a father in 2007. That year, I graduated Stanford Law School and declined multiple lucrative corporate law offers in order to work full-time to see my father’s dream made real.
GEANCO is also a story of Mothers and Children
My father is an OBN/GYN. He has dedicated his entire career to caring for women and babies at the most vulnerable times of their lives. The passion and concern my dad has for his patients have carried over to our family foundation. It is especially needed in Nigeria. More children die in Nigeria than anywhere in the world except for India, which has a billion of residents. Approximately 1,000,000 children under 5 die in Nigeria each year, most from preventable and treatable causes.
More pregnant women die in Nigeria than anywhere in the world except for India. Nigeria has 2% of the world’s population and 10% of the world’s maternal deaths. Again, many of these tragic deaths are preventable.
Therefore, while we are interested in providing world-class medical care for all of Nigeria’s people, we are especially focused on preserving and improving the lives of poor and vulnerable women and children.
What annual events does GEANCO host to bring awareness/fund raise?
We hold annual fundraisers in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington DC. A two-minute recap of our 2011 Los Angeles benefit (which featured Academy Award-nominee Djimon Hounsou and fashion executive and television star Kimora Lee Simmons) can be found HERE:
Who is the target age group/demographic that GEANCO supports?
Our current major project is the development of world-class hospital in southeast Nigeria. Medical care at this hospital will focus on poor and vulnerable women and children, though its doors will be open to all. We hope that those Nigerians who currently spend $900 million on medical care overseas will be attracted to our Center of Excellence. We will use fees from these wealthier patients, along with donations from individuals, foundations and governments, to subsidize care for the poor in a sustainable way.
How can others get involved with your cause within their local communities?
In anyone interested in our work can help us raise funds for our medical missions and for the development of our hospital. We have had dance troupes and student groups organize independent fundraisers for us. To those who have relationships with philanthropists, grant-making foundations and corporations, we would greatly appreciate a warm introduction and recommendation. Along with money, we are looking for connections to hospitals and corporation that can donate medical supplies and equipment.
Most importantly, we need everyone to spread the word about GEANCO. Everyone can tell five people about our work. Magic happens that way.
What are your major accomplishments/awards?
May 2008: Organized an African Health Symposium on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB at the California Institute of Technology . The symposium was keynoted by Nobel Prize-winning AIDS researcher and former Caltech president Dr. David Baltimore.
June 2010: Famed Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe joins GEANCO as Honorary Chairman.
November 2009: Organized an African Health Symposium on maternal and infant mortality at Caltech. The event was headlined by Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker.
September 2011: GEANCO will lead an orthopedic medical mission to Anambra State, Nigeria. The mission is being sponsored by Zimmer Holdings, the world’s leading orthopedic equipment manufacture
Be brave. Be audacious, and do whatever it takes to realize your dream, especially if that dream involves helping others. Find your purpose and begin the joyful struggle of seeing your dream made real. Take a leap! You will be surprised and inspired by how events and situations align to clear a path for you to move forward. Opportunities and individuals will present themselves in ways you cannot possibly imagine.
Anything additional you’d like to add?
Please support our work. We are leading a medical mission to Nigeria in September. Our orthopedic medical team will perform some of the first hip and knee replacements ever done in Nigeria. Nigeria has 160 million people and only 200 orthopedic surgeons, none of whom are capable of performing joint surgeries. The number of crippled women and children who are our help is staggering. More information on the mission can be found here: http://www.geanco.org/
Where can we find out more information about your charity?
GEANCO Foundation website: www.geanco.org
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/
*Bonus question: What does “Giving back is good for the soul” mean to you?
This quote summarizes the great and wonderful mystery of philanthropy – that the more we give of our time, talent and treasure, the more joy, satisfaction and peace we receive. The more we extend ourselves to the least, the last and the lost, the bigger we grow, the more centered we feel, the more connected we become to each other and to our purpose in life. Our souls atrophy and wither away unless they are allowed to exercise compassion and charity. When we give back, our souls are made full to overflowing, and we practically sparkle as a result. We shine, all the days of our lives.
