Return of the prodigal son

It’s a calling to serve Africa and, more precisely, DRC. If not already evident, I am originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, born but raised in England, so I have the luxury of calling these two places home.

The early memory of my childhood always takes me back to summer holiday vacations. Being the young man I am today, I believe even as young as 4 or 5 years old, my interests were always tied to the outdoors, social events, nature and being surrounded by people, and I still adopt that approach today! I spent very little time on Game Boys and Nintendo. If I were watching sports, my short attention span would push me to replicate skills demonstrated by professionals in our yard or on the street playing with friends; family gatherings were the best because cousins and parents always surrounded me, but what I loved most were road trips and flying. Although I feared the motions of a plane, going into the cockpit and chatting with pilots was comforting and calmed my nerves (to their annoyance, my parents would hold a different view).

To date, visiting the Inga Dam remains the most magical experience. I can vividly remember the train journey from Kinshasa to bas Congo (Matadi), walking the Pond Marechal, arriving at the Dam, and staying in the presidential suite reserved for the late President Joseph Mobutu to being engulfed by the sound of the mighty Congo River and its current.
Travelling to South Africa and returning to DRC after 18 years have reconnected and given me a greater purpose to serve in the motherlands development.

I have always had great pride in my origin, culture, and identity. Despite the negative press associated with DRC, I have always remained positive and seen great potential yet to be unrivalled from its virgin grounds.

Unlike my current position as a policy professional, I always relish the opportunity to address challenging policies and find solutions in sometimes chaotic situations. As the overly used and quoted phrase stipulates, “Where there is a will, there’s a way!” Like most, I believe in investing in people. With opportunities, the DRC will rise and be a force to be reckoned with outside of its natural resources. I dream of addressing social economics deficiencies such as homelessness and the environment through recycling, to name a few. None of which can be achieved alone.