OUR TEAM
We are a multi-disciplinary team of peacebuilders, community development workers, psychologists designing trauma-informed interventions and methods for their evaluation.Our work support women and girls affected by long-term conflicts in the Eastern DRCongo
Founder and Director
MUSHAGALUSA FADHILI Smith
Study level: Bac+5 Peace and Peveloppment
About the Founder : Mushagalusa Fadhili Smith also known as Freddy is a young congolese healing-centered Peacebuilder working as CEO of Women’s talking Circles Foundation ( WTCF-DRC) to support communities affected by long-term wars in the Eastern part of the DRCongo. He was born and grew up in a small village called Kamanyola in the Eastern DRCongo, South-Kivu province/ Ruzizi plain near Rwanda and Burundi borders. In 1994, just after the Rwandan genocide when he was 4 years old, millions of Rwandan refugees flooded into the Eastern DRCongo and most of these refugees were perpetrators of the genocide often referred to as FDLR, which is the source of the first crises in Eastern DRCongo that have cost lives of many of his relatives and continue to cost lives of innocents people. Since 1994 Mushagalusa has lived through recurrent wars, daily insecurity and killings and the peace process continues to be fragile and elusive. Since his childhood his dream was to become a leader in Dispute Resolution and contribute to the lasting peace in the Eastern DRCongo and support people he sees suffering in his community through humanitarian actions. Despite difficulties he achieved his studies at the Université Évangélique en Afrique in Bukavu/ School of Peace and Development. He is committed to working with communities torn by the trauma of war and is supporting the Democratic Republic of Congo to prevent future violence through a trauma-informed approach. In addition, Mushagalusa work as DRCONGO's focal point at the the Conservation Beyond Borders and the Academy for Adolescent Health (USA ) to connect African and American teens.
Program Manager
TULIA SALAMA Persévérance
Study level: Bac+5 bachelor's degree in Peace and Conflict Transform
Tulia Salama Perseverance is a young Congolese professional holds a bachelor's degree in Peace and Conflict Transformation. She has solid experience in the areas of Peace and Conflict Resolution, She is a sought-after thought-leader on numerous issues including gender equity and gender-based violence; women’s poverty and the wage gap; girls’ empowerment; and leadership. Tulia Salama worked and volunteer in many non-profit organizations in the Eastern DRCongo. As a communications and program intern at Welthungerhilfe DRC/Goma, where she contributed to project management and the organization's visibility on social media. She also held key positions such as community mobilizer at Conservation Beyond Borders-DRC, Community mobilizer at the COCORICO-DRC . Currently, Tulia works as a program officer at Women's Talking Circle Foundation DRCongo where she serves and have implemented many women's empowerment projects. Tulia has strong language skills in French, Swahili. Her determination, passion and commitment to peace, women's empowerment and social justice make her an exceptional.
Deputy Director in charge of Peace Project
MUSHAMUKA BASIMIKA Jean
Study level: Bac+5 Peace and Peveloppment
Is a young Congolese Entrepreneur from the Eastern Province. He hold bachelor's degree in Peace and development at the Evangelical University in Africa (UEA/BUKAVU). During the period of his internship at the Panzi Reference General Hospital in the SVS project (oversales of sexual violence ) MUSHAMUKA received skills on trauma and resilience, social reintegration of women survivors of sexual violence and training on women's empowerment. He is a founding member of Women's Talking Circles Foundation.
MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANT
KEFA CIZA CICERO
Study level: Bac+5 Health and biotechnology
Is a young Congolese versatile in the field of health and biotechnology. As a nurse, medical laboratory technician, medical biotechnologist, supplier, maintenance and repair of devices, materials and other medical inputs; He also holds teaching and research positions at ISTCE and GITWE Medical University. At the same time, he works as a mental health assistant at the Women's Talking Circle Foundation in the DRC to promote mental health awareness, training and advocacy programs, with a focus on education, mental health, women's entrepreneurship and the environment. During the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, he worked as a quality assurance manager and medical analysis technician within the response team in the Kabare region, Democratic Republic of Congo. He also held the position of head of the medical analysis laboratory at the Red Cross Hospital Center of the DRC (Nguba) until 2021. Since the beginning of 2021, Kefa Ciza Cicero has been volunteering for the Conversation Beyond Borders : www.conservationbeyondborders.org Kefa Ciza Cicero has solid experience in the design and implementation of research and development projects. KEFA CIZA Cicero speaks French, English, Swahili, Esperanto, as well as the local languages of eastern DRC.
Finance Manager Director
IMANI KITIRI Esther
Study level: Bac+5 Economie de l'Environnement
Is young Congolese from the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Economics and has acquired solid experience in economic principles, public environmental policies and the management of renewable and non-renewable natural resources. Imani Kitiri Esther served at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA office of UVIRA) in the Great Lacs Region in the Agricultural Growth integration project where she contributed to building the capacity of farmers in economics and environmental management as well as agricultural profitability. Indeed, Imani Kitiri Esther to worked as an intern at the Panzi General Referral Hospital; in the In Gender Health project where she attended an important number of sessions and mmonitoring to assist women victims of sexual violence entrepreneurship through agriculture; income management as well as community reintegration. Esther has exceptional learning and managerial teamwork skills. Also has strong language skills in French, Swahili and English .
Community Leader/Migina Village
KAVIRA MANGAHA Judith
Study level: Nurse
she is a nurse and community leader in Ruzizi Plain/Eastern DR Congo. She lead a group of 14 women who gather in weekly sessions.
Community Leader/Rubumba
SOLANGE NTANAMA Judith
Study level: Physician
She is a physician and community leader in the Ruzizi plain/eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. She leads a group of 14 women who meet for weekly sessions in Rubumba Village.
Community Leader/Ngomo Village
MWAMINI CUBWA TECLANT
Study level: Teacher
She is a Teacher and community leader in the Ruzizi plain/eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. She leads a group of 14 women who meet for weekly sessions.
Leader Communiy
WAKUSOMBA KAMUMBA MELANI
Study level: Farmer
She is a Farmer and community leader in the Ruzizi plain/eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. She leads a group of 14 women who meet for weekly sessions.
Leader Communiy
FURAHA MALIYAMUNGU NSIMIRE
Study level: Women church leader/8ème CEPAC Carmel Kamanyola
Women church leader/8ème CEPAC Carmel Kamanyola and community leader in the Ruzizi plain/eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. She leads a group of 14 women who meet for weekly sessions.
Leader Communiy
MAPENZI BARHACIKUBAGIRWA VOLONTE
Study level: Teacher
He is a Teacher and community leader at WTCF in the Ruzizi plain/eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. He leads a group of 14 women who meet for weekly sessions.
Leader Communiy
ZAWADI SAFARI Aline
Study level: Women church leader
Women church leaderand community leader at WTCF in the Ruzizi plain/eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. She leads a group of 14 women who meet for weekly sessions.
Communiy Leader
ABUBAKAR SINDI
Study level: Primary School teacher
Teacher and community leader at WTCF in the Ruzizi plain/eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. He leads a group of 14 women who meet for weekly sessions.
Social Assistant WTCF
BARAKA MUGOLI
Study level: School of social sciences
She is a Social Assistant/WTCFr at in Ruzizi Plain/Eastern DR Congo. She lead a group of 14 women who gather in weekly sessions.
Director of Development and Projects
Mutama Kabesha Ntinu
Study level: Master of Arts in Social Work
Mr. Mutama Kabesha Ntinu is a Social Work Lecturer at the Université Evangelique en Afrique (UEA) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), specializing in counselling, Christian counselling, Medical social work, psychosocial interventions, mental health, and trauma. He serves as Director of Development and Projects at Women’s Talking Circle Foundation, a DRC-based humanitarian organization addressing intergenerational trauma and improving access to support services for women and communities affected by war conflicts. Kabesha combines his academic, research, and field practices to enhance learning for students at UEA and empower women impacted by conflict in Eastern DRC. He is currently completing his second Master’s thesis in Social Work at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), Nairobi, Kenya.