Fidel Bafilemba: "My Hope for Congo"
Posted by Fidel Bafilemba on May 03, 2012
Editor’s Note: On May 1, the Raise Hope for Congo campaign launched “I
Am Congo,” a new video series highlighting voices from the ground. The
series profiles five inspiring Congolese individuals—Fidel Bafilemba,
Amani Matabaro, Denise Siwatula, Petna Ndaliko, and Dominique
Bikaba—who are making a difference in their communities. For five
weeks, Enough Said will highlight one profile each week.
It’s difficult to be the center of attention for a video profile like
this—it certainly has made me reflect on where I have come, the path I
have chosen, and the message that I feel is most important to share
with the world.
I have lived in eastern Congo all my life, and currently reside in
Goma with my wife and five children. Born the first out of 27
siblings, my parents separated early when I was only seven, and I had
to quickly learn to become self-reliant. Growing up in a shanty town
within Goma called Birere, I learned to bake breads by the time I was
14, wrapping them in plastic bags and selling them on Bierer’s busy
streets, morning and night. Baking became my lifeline, and helped me
pay for my own housing and education all the way through university.
At university, I studied linguistics and African culture—I now speak
12 languages fluently. Since university, I have moved on from baking
bread to becoming a teacher, a church leader, a news presenter, a
singer, a politician, a member of the AFDL, RCD, and Mai Mai rebel
movements, and finally a humanitarian and devoted human rights
activist.
During my time as a Mai Mai fighter, I saw people fighting over our
native land and my fellow countrymen falling to gunfire. It made me
realize how destructive this violence and blind-following really
are—it just doesn’t work.
But that past is far behind me now, and today is a new day. My hope is
that my children will grow up in a Congo that allows and even
encourages every citizen to think independently—to challenge the
status quo of taking up arms for power. To me, this video has provided
an opportunity to convey the importance of a common denominator
uniting all citizens of the world—one that leads to progress and one
that eastern Congo largely lacks—an education system that promotes
critical thinking.
The Congolese education system suffers greatly. Its core structure is
over half a century old, based on Belgian colonial legacy limited to
routine memorization. Over the years, the Congolese people have
learned to follow blindly and methodically without questioning things
or our leaders. We are unable to ask ourselves whether we are a true
nation, unable to make up our minds for our own "Arab Spring" despite
the ongoing crisis that has become the world’s deadliest conflict
since World War II.
Revolutionizing the Congolese education system to emphasize the
importance of critical thinking would provide the tools for young
girls and boys, adult students, and parents to think on their own
rather than simply internalizing what church leaders, rebel leaders,
and politicians claim as truth. It would provide the tools for my
people to read books, to become familiar with international languages,
and to be more open to the outside world.
That is the message this video has provided me the opportunity to
share. After showing the video to my family, my 13-year-old son told
me:
If you can’t ever make that dream real, I will. Congo can’t
survive all it has been going through if it can’t rely upon a true
education system. And if Joseph Kabila can't instill that reform,
Congolese can do it with the help of our friends.
And as I write this, my son’s words echo in my mind. Congo has been
through much turmoil, and it continues today. Aid agencies have been
pouring in billions of dollars to provide support for victims of
violence in Congo, but there is a lot that could be done to help
people challenge the status quo. Building centers for education based
on critical thinking is the key to Congo’s future. My hope for my
country is that we can learn to think critically about our
surroundings so we can move forward toward peace and rebuilding a
country that is stronger than ever.
Share Fidel's story and view the other "I Am Congo" video profiles.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"South Sudan Info - The Kob" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
