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2025-04-19T04:00:06Z

Created page with "{{Short description|Nigerian non-profit executive}} {{Infobox person | name = Orondaam Otto | image = Orondaam Otto.jpeg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|08|08}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | body_discovered = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =..."

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{{Short description|Nigerian non-profit executive}}
{{Infobox person
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| education = [[Harvard Kennedy School]], [[University of Port Harcourt]]
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| occupation = Social entrepreneur, philanthropist
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'''Orondaam Otto''' (born 8 August 1987) is a [[Nigerian]] social entrepreneur, education advocate and philanthropist.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Tommy |title=Meet Slum2School Africa: Social Enterprise Using Technology To Bring Education To Africa’s Slums |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommywilliams1/2020/08/31/meet-slum2school-africa-social-enterprise-using-technology-to-bring-education-to-africas-slums/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Otto Orondaam – African Philanthropy Forum |url=https://africanpf.org/speakers/otto-orondaam/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |language=en-US}}</ref> He is the founder of Slum2School Africa, a nonprofit organization and the first to build a Virtual Learning Classroom in [[Sub-Saharan Africa]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oluwole |first=Victor |date=2020-07-17 |title=Nigeran social entrepreneur, Otto Orondaam builds virtual classrooms to teach 900+ kids in Africa. |url=https://africa.businessinsider.com/strategy/nigeran-social-entrepreneur-otto-orondaam-builds-virtual-classrooms-to-teach-900-kids/j1tq11v |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Business Insider Africa |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Campos |first=Guy |title=A Slum2School charity’s first Virtual Learning Studio |url=https://www.avinteractive.com/territories-news/mea/slum-2-school-charity-sets-virtual-learning-classroom-22-07-2020/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=AV Magazine |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Angela |first=Ukomadu |title=Nigerian charity tries to salvage a slum's schooling amid pandemic |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/world/nigerian-charity-tries-to-salvage-a-slum-s-schooling-amid-pandemic-idUSKBN2601B0/ |website=Reuters}}</ref> He is also one of the founding members of The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ambode appoints ex-FIRS boss, Omoigui-Okauru, others For N25bn ETF board |url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/ambode-appoints-ex-firs-boss-omoigui-okauru-others-for-n25bn-etf-board/ |website=Vanguard Newspaper}}</ref> Otto is a two-time winner of [[The Future Awards Africa]] and a member of the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The unfamiliar winners of The Future Awards Africa 2013, By Chude Jideonwo |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/opinion/152012-unfamiliar-winners-future-awards-africa-2013-chude-jideonwo.html |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.premiumtimesng.com}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
'''Orondaam Otto''' born on 8 August 1987 in northern Nigeria, originally hails from [[Port Harcourt]], [[Rivers State]]. He earned a [[Bachelor's degree]] in Human Anatomy from the [[University of Port Harcourt]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Onyeakagbu |first=Adaobi |date=2018-09-10 |title=Meet our Man Crush, Orondaam Otto, founder of Slum 2 School Africa |url=https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/mcm-meet-our-man-crush-orondaam-otto-founder-of-slum-2-school-africa/87b89b5 |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Pulse Nigeria |language=en}}</ref> In 2022, he finished from the [[Harvard Kennedy School]] with a [[Master's degree]] in [[Public administration|Public Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Orondaam Otto - keynote speaker |url=https://www.gspeakers.com/our-speakers/orondaam-otto/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Global Speakers Bureau |language=en-US}}</ref> At Harvard, Otto won the Erik Yankah Award and Lucius N. Littauer Fellowship Award for leadership.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leadership |url=https://hksbaa.org/leadership |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Harvard Kennedy School Black Alumni Association |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Career ==
Orondaam Otto started his career in the social sector at the age of 16 by participating in volunteer organizations focused on improving the living conditions of children in poor communities.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-25 |title=Orondaam Otto is Giving Less-Privileged African Kids Hope for the Future |url=https://businesselitesafrica.com/biography-of-orondaam-otto-founder-of-slum2school/?v=7516fd43adaa |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Business Elites Africa |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2020/08/05/african-voices-orondaam-otto-peter-tabichi-education-africa-nigeria-kenya-spc.cnn |title=Meet two changemakers who have dedicated their lives to their students {{!}} CNN |date=2020-08-07 |language=en |access-date=2024-08-15 |via=www.cnn.com}}</ref>

In 2011, while undergoing his [[National Youth Service Corps]] (NYSC) program, Otto discovered the [[Makoko|Makoko Community]] and the substandard living condition of the children who had little or no access to quality education.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2016-05-05 |title=OTTO ORONDAAM, Shares with KEMI AJUMOBI on his ardor for change in the lives of young children through his project Slum2School Africa |url=https://businessday.ng/personality/article/otto-orondaam-shares-with-kemi-ajumobi-on-his-ardor-for-change-in-the-lives-of-young-children-through-his-project-slum2school-africa/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Businessday NG |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Slum2School Founder Laments High Rate Of Uneducated Teachers |url=https://www.channelstv.com/2018/10/01/slum2school-founder-laments-high-rate-of-uneducated-teachers/amp/ |work=Channels Television}}</ref> While Otto was in the NYSC camp, he began to think on how to address the issues of education among underprivileged children.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-08-02 |title=Orondaam Otto: Impacting Africa Through Education |url=https://guardian.ng/life/orondaam-otto-impacting-africa-through-education/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News |language=en-US}}</ref> Later in his youth service program, he officially started Slum2School Africa,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-26 |title=‘I Chose To Serve Instead Of Making Money’ |url=https://www.forbesafrica.com/entrepreneurs/2018/03/26/chose-serve-instead-making-money/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.forbesafrica.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Group helps Makoko children go to school |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/106405-group-helps-makoko-children-go-to-school.html |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.premiumtimesng.com}}</ref> a charity organization focused on addressing the increasing number of out-of-school children in Africa, particularly those in slums and underserved communities.<ref>{{Cite news |title=How Otto Orondaam helps students make the grade |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Making-a-difference/2021/0706/How-Otto-Orondaam-helps-students-make-the-grade |access-date=2024-08-15 |work=Christian Science Monitor |issn=0882-7729}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Omotayo |first=Joseph |date=2020-08-03 |title=Nigerian man Otto builds big virtual classroom to teach 948 kids amid Covid-19 |url=https://www.legit.ng/1347435-nigerian-man-otton-builds-virtual-class-948-kids-africa.html |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Legit.ng - Nigeria news. |language=en}}</ref>

In 2020, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic|COVID-19 Pandemic]], Otto built the first Virtual Learning Classroom in Africa to facilitate remote education for children.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-09 |title=Nigerian charity tries to salvage a slum's schooling amid pandemic |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/nigerian-charity-tries-salvage-slums-090322566.html |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-GB}}</ref> He was also featured as an African Change-maker on the [[CNN]] African voices documentary.<ref name=":0" />

{{quote box
| quote = The classes are designed to mimic classroom interactions found in a traditional school setting and are billed as the first of its kind in the country and within the Sub-Saharan region, according to Slum2School.

— [[CNN]] on Slum2School Africa Virtual Learning Classroom<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2020/08/07/orondaam-otto-lagos-nigeria-slum2school-africa-spc-upd-2.cnn |title=Slum2School Africa wants to ensure every child has access to education {{!}} CNN |date=2020-08-07 |language=en |access-date=2024-08-15 |via=edition.cnn.com}}</ref>
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}}

In 2016, Otto was a [[Young African Leaders Initiative|Mandela Washington Fellow]], and served as the chairman of the West and Central African Regional Advisory Board of the [[Young African Leaders Initiative]] (YALI) launched by [[Barack Obama|President Barack Obama]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nigeria |first=U. S. Mission |date=2022-10-09 |title=U.S. Mission Welcomes 2022 Mandela Washington Fellows |url=https://ng.usembassy.gov/u-s-mission-welcomes-2022-mandela-washington-fellows/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=tjohnson |date=2017-10-30 |title=YALI Voices Podcast: Orondaam Otto's Passion and Perseverance in Social Entrepreneurship |url=https://yali.state.gov/yali-voices-with-orondaam-otto-passion-and-perseverance-in-social-entrepreneurship-audio/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Young African Leaders Initiative |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2022, he was appointed to the HKS Black Alumni Board, and in 2024, he was appointed to the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Onuoha |first=Millicent Arebun |date=2024-08-12 |title=Nigeria’s Ijeoma Akunyili & Otto Orondaam Join Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board - LeVogue Magazine |url=https://levogue.leadership.ng/nigerias-ijeoma-akunyili-otto-orondaam-join-harvard-kennedy-school-alumni-board/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Alumni Board Elections Results 2024 |url=https://www.hks.harvard.edu/alumni/about/alumni-leadership/alumni-board/board-elections/alumni-board-elections-results-2024 |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www.hks.harvard.edu |language=en}}</ref>

== Recognition ==
Otto won [[The Future Awards Africa]] in 2012 and 2013 for his innovation in education.<ref>{{Cite web |title=TFAA 2013 Winners List |url=https://awards.thefutureafrica.com/past-winners/year-2013/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=The Future Awards Africa |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=TFAA 2012 Winners List |url=https://awards.thefutureafrica.com/past-winners/year-2012/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=The Future Awards Africa |language=en-GB}}</ref> Otto was named among the Global 100 Most Influential People of African Descent by the United Nations General Assembly.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Orondaam Otto |url=https://blog.mipad.org/orondaam-otto/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=blog.mipad.org}}</ref> He was also listed in the [[YNaija]] 2020 Powerlist of Nigerians in Advocacy .<ref>{{Cite web |title=#YNaijaPowerlist2020: Isaac Success, Modupe Odele, Otto Orondaam feature on list of powerful young Nigerians in Advocacy |url=https://ynaija.com/ynaijapowerlist-modupe-odele-otto-orondaam-and-98-others-in-the-2020-list/ |website=YNaija}}</ref>

In 2022, he was nominated for the [[Business Insider]] Africa Awards in the social entrepreneur of the year category.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Africa |first=B. I. |date=2022-03-21 |title=Here are the nominees of the Business Insider Africa Awards |url=https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/leaders/here-are-the-nominees-of-the-business-insider-africa-awards/1bxzk5d |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=Business Insider Africa |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://slum2school.org/ Slum2School Africa]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Otto, Orondaam}}
[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Nigerian philanthropists]]
[[Category:Nigerian activists]]
[[Category:University of Port Harcourt alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni]]
[[Category:Founders of charities]]

Orondaam Otto - Revision history