Boris Ondo

I believe I deserve this award because for over fifteen years I have worked to open doors in Korea for the Africans coming after me, and to make African excellence visible here. My contribution has been in education, entrepreneurship, and community leadership. As the first African to intern at the National Assembly of Korea, I learned early that presence matters.

I founded the first Global Students Association at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and the Public Speaking and Leadership Club at the KDI School, where I also served as President of the African Development Forum, so African and international students would have a voice rather than wait for one.

At the Embassy of Gabon in Seoul, as Attaché and Head of Trade & Investment Affairs, I advanced Korea–Gabon economic relations and, under the leadership of the then Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Korea, co-initiated the Group of Friends of the Green Climate Fund, a coalition of sixteen embassies.