News that Swahili has been adopted as one of the African Union’s working languages has been well received in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where nearly half the population speaks it, writes it or understands it. In all, Swahili is spoken by an estimated 70-million people in Africa.
For those largely unfamiliar with Congolese history, a list of people who have shaped the country’s past might include no more than two or three names. Patrice Lumumba and Mobutu Sese Seko would certainly feature; perhaps Laurent Kabila as well. In years to come, however, the names of three Congolese women might become equally well known.
In recent years, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has become a byword for violence and human rights abuse. Now, inhabitants of Butembo in the North Kivu province are seeking renown for something else: Entrepreneurial initiative. Tired of waiting for government to meet their energy needs, businesspeople from Butembo have joined forces to build a hydroelectric dam.