Season 2
Join us as we go to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to discover the power of social entrepreneurship and planet-centric thinking to build economic value, serve community needs and contribute to long-term stability and peace.
Why Congo?
Who’s Who?
Patrick Byamungu
Patrick Byamungu is an entrepreneur and activist. He is the Director and Co-Founder of La Différence and helps social entrepreneurs in Kivu develop sustainable, social businesses. Through his work as a journalist and videographer, Patrick found that the model of foreign aid was not serving the local population or providing sustainable economic growth.
With La Différence, he and his Co-Founder Mike are leveraging a different model for progress and peace; one that can be attained by supporting local entrepreneurs and nurturing a business environment for social innovation.
Mike Beeston
Mike initially worked in the UK advertising industry. In 1993, he left to co-found one of the first web design companies anywhere. In mid-2001, Mike co-founded a second digital design company called Fjord, for which he became Chairman in 2009. He was instrumental in securing VC investment before leading the sale of Fjord to Accenture in early 2013.
Since 2013, Mike has worked closely with Patrick Byamungu to found and lead La Difference in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an amazing country where he now spends much of his time sharing his skills and experience with Congolese entrepreneurs.
Armant Chako
Chako Armant is the Head of Projects within La Différence. She oversees all projects that are executed and planned in the organisation, and guides the project managers. She also coordinates fieldwork with partners and, does research for the company.
Born and raised in the city of Bukavu, she obtained her bachelor's degree in public economics. Passionate about journalism, she worked for three years in two local radio stations, a job that allowed her to have a good background and experience in communication.
Ensemble Pour La Différence is a Congolese non-profit organisation - with offices in Bukavu and Goma - that offers innovation, know-how, and investment to help social entrepreneurs in Kivu develop sustainable programs and businesses that benefit the economic and social well-being of Congolese and their communities. The organisation focuses its support on social entrepreneurs in clean energy, digital technology, and agri-business and has to date helped establish twenty businesses, including coffee and rice co-operatives, a micro-hydropower station, and a solar energy company. La Difference has also installed wifi networks for remote communities and is currently developing digital services supporting clean energy and health.
Douce Namwezi
UWEZO AFRICA
Douce Namwezi is a multimedia journalist and the Founder of UWEZO AFRIKA - a nonprofit initiative promoting women’s empowerment through journalism, job training and social entrepreneurship. Douce started producing radio at the age of 16 when she joined the Women Media Association in the DRC. At the time the Congo was at war. Douce reported stories on former child soldiers, mass crimes of rape. After 10 years with the organisation, she was promoted to Coordinator.
Douce’s work has been recognised with awards from the BBC’s 100 most influential women (2020), the Great Lakes Initiative, the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island and UN Women.
Washikala Malango
ALTECH
Washikala Malongo is the Director and Co-Founder of Altech: a clean energy company that aims to eradicate energy poverty in the DRC. Washikala grew up in the Democratic Republic Congo, where ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi-aligned forces drove conflict, and his family fled to Tanzania where he grew up in a refugee camp. There, he met Iongwa Mashangao, with whom he went to the University of Dar Es Salaam on a UNHCR scholarship.
Washikala and Iongwa both earned the Washington Mandela Fellowship for Young African Leaders.
Chance Rwezi
CPNCK
Chance Rwezi is Managing Director of the coffee cooperative CPNCK on the island of Idjwi in Lake Kivu, DRC. Established in 2012, the cooperative has 2388 members. In 2019, Chance established a hotel and a fish farming co-op with 350 members. His aim is to contribute to the living conditions of the islanders through social business.
Chance has a degree in administrative management and corporate finance from the Institute Supérieur de Commerce in Goma. He is married and the father of five children.
Tessa Wernink
Narrator
Tessa is a podcast maker, business activist, and coach. Through her work building the social enterprise Fairphone, she researched and covered the story of conflict minerals from the Congo. Recently, she got together with Impossible, an old Fairphone friend, to add to their storytelling platform stories from Congo that highlight the resilience of social entrepreneurs and planet-centric innovation to create positive change.
Music Credits
Jean Bosco Mwenda songs appear courtesy of ILAM, Rhodes Unversity. Permission for the use of Dr. Nico’s songs has been kindly given by the Liliane Kasanda and family. Use of tracks from the album Souvenir ya L’Indepedance, thanks to Popular African Music. Fabrice by Franco appears courtesy of Frochot Music Cantos.
All songs: Ntumba - Docteur Nico & l’Africain Fiesta // Lucifer - Docteur Nico & l’Africain Fiesta // Nakeyi Abidjan - Docteur Nico & l’Africain Fiesta // La Jolie Bebe - Docteur Nico & l’Africain Fiesta // Cherie Julie Nalingaka - Docteur Nico & l’Africain Fiesta // Nasalin Eloko Te - Docteur Nico & l’Africain Fiesta // Kongo Nsi Eta - Mavula Baudouin // Bukole - Bakasa Leon // Louise Marie Wa Motema - Desholey // Fabrice - Franco // Mama Kilo - Jean Bosco Mwenda // Mama Na Mwana - Jean Bosco Mwenda // Masanga - Jean Bosco Mwendav // La Vie Est Belle - Papa Wemba // Rail On - Papa Wemba.
Special thanks goes to the many people who have helped to help find the licensees for these beautiful songs. Namely, Alan Brain, Günter Gretz, Liliane Kasanda, Dr Lee Watkins, Elijah Madiba, Clemence de Bodinat, Bart Cattaert, Keneth Kiplagat and Francis Muchina at mdundo.com & Mississippi Records.
Photography
Ley Uwera is an independent photojournalist and a reporter with BBC in the Democratique Republic of the Congo. She has a degree in journalism from the Université de Cepromad. She reports on conflict and document the social and cultural evolution of the eastern part of the continent, with a focus on the DRC. Her work has been published in Departures, Huck Magazine, The New York Times ‘’ LENS ‘’ blog, Upworthy, Vantage, and Vrij Nederland, among others and she has exhibited in Fes, Istanbul and the LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph in Charlottesville, VA.