photography by Ed Zitron
APRIL 2014
34
CHANGING
CONGO CULTURE
Neema Namadamu's charming personality shines along with her various accomplishments. Though stricken with polio at the age of two, Neema's personality makes all whom she meets forget that she has any disability. As an adult advocate for women's rights, overall equality, and global peace, Neema has shown her strength in times of adversity. She was the second woman from her tribe to graduate from Congo's national university, is sought out to participate in conferences in the Great Lakes Region of Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda, and was selected as a deputy in her province's Parliament. She has a strong vision for the new Congo and wants to empower women to be informed of news and culture. Neema currently runs a Media Training Center for women, and connects these women to the world by contributing their stories through World Pulse. CEO Kate was fortunate to interview Neema and share with you her story for a culture revolution!
Q. What is your culture/heritage?
A. I am what are called BanyaMulenge (children of Mulenge), which are classified as Tutsi from the area of Mulenge in the High Plains of Itombwe in Mwenga Territory of South Kivu Province.
Q. How does your culture shape you?
A. My identity is important to me. It is my ground. But quite often, aspects of the culture of my people will be found on the wrong side of my perspective. My culture is highly, oppressively patriarchal. And since my mission is to build up the devastated women in Eastern Congo, the culture, the mind of my people often finds itself on the beating end of my stick. I’m sure my culture has had a tremendous affect on who I am and what I’m about. I think most people in service are serving not only out of the strength of having overcome tremendous adversity, but often serving in the very domain of that adversity; to rescue others from its deathly grip. Really I’m for right-mindedness. I fight for women because men have done women so very wrong in my culture and my country, to the devastation of my people and country. I’m for my people and my country, therefore I’m for women, because all that’s been repressed in women is the missing ingredient for the recipe of my people’s and my country’s greatness.
interview by Kate Avino