About Komala

Our Mission

Komala empowers the youth to be the source of development and growth in their communities and reach collective success for local youth and the diaspora passionate about the DRC.

Our Vision

Komala aspires to become the reference for an intertwined development of local and diaspora youth, by bridging the gap between academia and the business world.

The Origin

Komala , Swahili translation of “grow” in the imperative form, is a non-profit organisation that aims to positively impact, on national and international level, the Congolese youth and diaspora by stimulating interactions and collaborations centred on Education, Entrepreneurship and Diaspora Engagement. We aspire to become the reference for an intertwined development of Congolese talent, locally and Diaspora based, by reducing the gap between academia and the business world. As an organisation, we wholeheartedly believe in the “Ubuntu” philosophy and that only collectively, we will be able to reach complete success.

The Spine

The struggle for Congolese students to find a job in the formal sector is a serious concern, regardless of them going through a regular school system. Several media have estimated the Congolese unemployment rate around 65%, in a country with a population averaging the age of 25. Consequently, high-potential profiles are migrating to other countries on the continent or further. All, in the hope to have lucrative opportunities to help family members that remained in the home country. This means that the DRC is battling consciously or unconsciously with a brain drainage, which it has been doing since its independence. Empowering the youth to be the source of development and growth in their communities while enabling them to improve their employability is key for Komala and it will continue to be the focus in the foreseeable future. 

The (Congolese) diaspora is actively involved in the households of families in the country. These families rely on remittances that are mainly used for food provision, healthcare and/or education of children. Due to political reasons, relations between the diaspora and local population have lately been difficult. Not violently, but tensed due to a divergence in opinion, which led to many boycotts have occurred in the last years. Since 2018/2019, the efforts and potential of the diaspora are truly seen as a new opportunity to reinforce the relations between the two parties. Certainly because the estimated population of 250. 000 persons, within the frontiers of the European Union, could potentially be considered as a second force and resource through its finances, logistics or even human resources. Observations have also led to notice that a lot of young Congolese living in the EU are eager to know how they can impact their country of origin. Again, it is one of the reasons why empowering the youth to be the source of development and growth in their communities is key for Komala and it will continue to be the focus in the foreseeable future.

Within the created programmes the #Envision30 Sustainable Development Goals, propelled by the United Nations in 2015, are included.

We particularly focus on 5 goals.

Founded in 2019 by childhood friends Rety Lubala Lulando and Grégory Dianzenza, Komala strives to bridge the gap between the Congolese diaspora and the home country. With more than 250 000 individuals (by nationality and roots) based within the frontiers of European Union, the diaspora is actively involved in the daily households of families back home. These families rely on remittances that are mainly used for food provision, healthcare and/or education of children. However, almost 60 years after the first arrivals, it has been unable to find solutions to the bigger sociological and economical challenges that DRC is facing. We recognise the Diaspora’s potential and eagerness to positively impact their country of origin.