By Nadira Jamerson | New York Amsterdam News | Word In Black
(WIB) – Eunice Ukwuani is a model citizen — quite literally. In her past life, she worked the runway for several fashion shows and remembers her video vixen days for a few well-known artists. But her calling was not on the catwalk, it was in the world of advocacy. So, Ukwuani focused on her law and public administration studies at Long Island University and later, in graduate school, at Pace University.
Today, she heads up her own non-profit—the Princess Eunice Ukwuani Foundation—which assists youngsters who are underprivileged and/or with disabilities abroad, especially young women in Nigeria. In 2020, Brian Benjamin, former state senator and lieutenant governor, awarded her with a proclamation honoring her work in helping girls in Africa pay school tuition, and for her donations of PPE to hospitals.
“I care so much about this world,” said Ukwuani. “When I see bad things happening, it breaks me down. That is how much love I could have for people. But, people want to take advantage of us and do mean things to us, but at the end of the day, that [doesn’t] stop me from doing good. I’m always there to help. I just don’t know why, that’s just the way I am.”
Her munificence dates back to her elementary school days when she shared food and lunch money with her hungry classmates.
Recently, she campaigned for Mayor Eric Adams, as well as former Rep. Tom Suozzi during his gubernatorial run as president of the New York Political Coalition organization. After all, despite her advocacy’s worldwide work, Ukwuani can’t imagine living anywhere other than the “Big Apple.”
“I just love New York,” she said. “Nothing will make me leave New York. [For] those who want to come to the U.S. they have to visit New York. I don’t care wherever else they want to go. They must come to New York.”
Her work can be found on www.princesseuniceukwuanifoundation.org
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.