Malika Dia

Malika Dia started her journey with Plan International when she was 13 years old, living in Burkina Faso. She led a fundraising campaign with Plan to help improve girls’ access to school, and through the initiative, raised enough money to donate 60 bicycles to girls. Malika then started school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and from there she participated in the first-ever Plan Youth Leadership Academy and joined Plan’s Youth Advisory Board, where she served for six years.

Malika went on to study economics and international studies at Johns Hopkins University, combining her interests in academic research with racial justice and social equity. During her undergraduate career, she worked for the Baltimore mayor’s office, evaluating their YouthWorks program. She also conducted academic research on the 1904 Namibian genocide and forged a strong interest in the bridge between the public and private sectors in long-term social change.

She earned her master’s degree as part of Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies BA/MA program, where she studied international law and organizations and international economics. She has since begun working with the Boston Consulting Group as an associate, and is looking forward to continuing her passion for girls’ rights and the empowerment of young people on Plan’s board of directors and beyond.