Message from Malaika Founder
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Ibadan Nigeria. Artist, Dorothy Hayes, 1988. Detail.
Dr. Natalie Hahn received an honorary chieftaincy title by the Yoruba Nation as the Balogun Iyalaje, translated as the “women who brings empowerment to others”. The title was awarded for her work with colleagues at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, in introducing new nutritious food crops, particularly soybeans, to thousands of rural women.
Her career of global adventures is told in the attached Harvard Alumni Magazine, May 2026.
Greetings Dear Colleagues
As a fortunate Nebraskan with a 4-H and farm family background and a thirty-eight year career with the United Nations, primarily in Africa, I owe my home state a great deal with a rich heritage and privileged opportunities. On many occasions, my journalistic mother, Grayce Hahn Burney, and I visited many Nebraska schools and we found that most of the students had limited knowledge of world events, geography and cultures. The idea hit—an opportunity to provide information on global resources and fellowships for students and faculty throughout the state. Thus, the Malaika Foundation was founded in 1994. Malaika means “my angel” in Swahili, the primary language of Kenya and Tanzania.
During the past 26 years and in close collaboration with the Nebraska Department of Education, Malaika has assisted in organizing symposia, from Omaha to Scottsbluff on Bringing the World to Your Classroom, for approximately 3,800 teachers and students. Sixty-eight global fellowships have been awarded for travel to 28 countries on five continents with funding from Fund for Teachers, www.fundforteachers.org and Kenneth Morrison, an international agricultural entrepreneur from Hastings, NE. An African Celebration and Art Auction, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, 2010, raised $100,000 for global fellowships and the Gala to Support Global Education, 2013, was organized by students in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. African art, including paintings, carvings and masks were sold at both events with African music, fashion and food. The Malaika Foundation Board of Directors has provided excellent guidance with the leadership of chairman, Dr. Douglas Christensen, Emeritus Commissioner of Education-Nebraska. Malaika Ambassadors have been appointed to assist in acquainting fellow teachers and students of global travel and educational resources and facilitate partnerships with the private sector in Nebraska.
The Malaika focus has been enhanced with a shift in ensuring that Nebraska’s history must also be understood and recognized. As Dr. Robert Manley, a Nebraska Historian and teacher of mine at the University of Nebraska, so wisely advised, “you must know Nebraska before you can know the world”. Being a global ambassador requires an understanding of Nebraska heritage and family history.
After COVID, the mission has shifted with a greater focus on Nebraska exploration for students. As one example, the Robert and Ardis James Family Foundation has provided funding for students from the Ord High School to travel to Mt. Rushmore and Red Cloud to become acquainted with the treasures of Mari Sandoz. Ord is the home town of Robert James and 2026 is the 5th year of their most generous support. The trips have been organized by Dr. Heather Nebesniak, Superintendent of Ord Public Schools and a member of the Malaika Foundation Board of Directors.
Our goal is preparing Nebraska’s students to be global citizens, create the opportunity to experience other cultures and an increased emphasis on understanding and appreciating Nebraska history and family heritage
Malaika and Malaika Founder Donates African and Central American Art to Peru State College
Dr. Natalie Hahn – a long-time traveler, supporter of the arts at home and abroad, and after a 38-year career with the United Nations – has given Peru State College more
than 150 pieces of African Art.
The Dr. Natalie Hahn African Art Collection will be displayed in every academic building on campus, on the campus grounds, and in the Administration Building.
Hahn writes, “I adore Peru State College for it’s an important part of Nebraska heritage having been founded 150 years ago and the first college in our beloved state. The Campus of A Thousand Oaks, nestled in a beautiful park and garden, was perfect for my outdoor African sculptures.”
Honoring a request to display these works outside a typical gallery, the College is working to create individual exhibitions in at least eight academic buildings. This means that as students, faculty, staff, and visitors walk around campus, they will be surrounded by incredible works of African art and culture.
This collection, visible and accessible across campus, will bolster student (and visitor) global awareness. It will also well serve the College’s mission to provide students of all backgrounds access to engaging educational experiences to strengthen and enrich communities, Nebraska and the world.
Hahn continues, “I am most impressed with the leadership of President Michael Evans and the devoted staff who are coordinating the displays—Jason Hogue, Brandi Hull and Lily Ellis. At last, my African Art has found a perfect home.”
Read the full article and view a sample of the art collection here >>>