Hello Students Rebuilders, teachers and to the rest of you! This is Pauline from Global Nomads Group – for the next four months, I will be your Students Rebuild correspondent from the DRC. First of all Happy New Year everyone; I hope you had a fantastic time during the holidays! Some of you might have ‘met’ me through a videoconference last month but for the sake of being thorough, here is a bit of information about me.

Originally from Belgium (yes the land of proper chocolate and amazing waffles), I lived in the UK for a couple of years studying international relations and conflict analysis. In between my studies, my life has been made of many travels some of which led me to Africa, South America or Europe – I look forward to sharing my next adventure with you all! Up until 10 years old, I had travelled all over Europe following my parents for work and from a young age I knew I wanted a life of new adventures, intercultural encounters and interesting acquaintances. But it was not all I wanted – I felt it would be wrong to go to all the places I have been without realising the numerous issues that amazing people I met were facing. Therefore I realised I wanted to become involved in work that would make a positive impact.

As a result of my travels, I had set one goaI: to become the new United Nations Secretary General (yes I know!).  All of my studies were focused on achieving this goal.  Along the way, I became more focused and found that my true passion was in helping people move forward with their lives after war. I wanted to put my skills to use by working in post-conflicts societies.  As it turns out, as it often does in the humanitarian sector, I have found that I gain more than I give out of my job.

I am very excited to be your voice in Goma, DRC. While in Eastern Congo I will be working on various projects- but will primarily be your eyes and ears to tell the stories of the Congolese youth and to help foster dialogue between you and your Congolese peers.  I am convinced the way towards peace can be achieved through youth.

As you probably know by now, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been facing numerous conflicts that have led to challenging living conditions for most Congolese people. Every Thursday I will be sharing with you all on my experiences in Goma that will span over a range of topics- from Congolese culture to human rights issues in the country and many more. I will be taking photos, sharing videos, and much more!  Let me know if there is something in particular you’d like to see (by writing in the comment box below)!  

As of last week, I am living in Goma and I will then share with you my experiences and challenges through this weekly blog. You will learn what is happening in DRC, what I have seen and whom I have met; so if you have any questions, please fire away! Talk to you next Thursday.

Pauline