My apologies for my long name! Andrea Papus Ngombet Malewa. In my country each of these names come both from the father’s and mother’s side. Each parent chooses one name and one first name to help their bloodline to be fully identified. Ngombet, from a paternal uncle, and Malewa as my maternal grandfather. But you can call me Andrea…only if you remember I am from the Republic of the Congo. Definitely not the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So why am I in Politics?
Because I want to go back to my country and make it better. At the moment, I can’t go back….I had to leave. I left my country in 2001. My father explained to me that I was not adaptable to the local silent custom. I naturally tend to raise my voice for justice - which was bringing me too much trouble. I left my country because it was not the place for a young male to grow up when he refuses to follow the tribal discrimination path of the ruling minority. During my time in exile, I have worked with many journalists and activists. And if there is one thing I have learnt from them, it is that democracy is a universal human aspiration.
