Alumnus establishes nonprofit to support people in his rural African home country

September 17, 2024 (Volume 48, Number 2)
Article by Thomas Garrett

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Kyezie Bwanangela, ’20, makes regular trips back to his home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo to support prisoners, students and orphans through a nonprofit organization that he established. 

Founded last September, Miracle Hunger and Trauma Solutions is dedicated to reducing hunger and improving food security for women and children in the Sub-Saharan African region. Bwanangela's organization includes funding tuition for children and orphans and supporting recovery efforts for individuals dealing with trauma.

“The idea came from my issues at home and with my family on the eastern side of Congo where I grew up,” said Bwanangela. “My brother almost died of starvation when I was younger, and I dealt with mental trauma from experiences like a large earthquake that struck my home in the night, eventually leading to sleep problems and nightmares caused by my stress.”

After immigrating from Congo as a young man, Bwanangela attended Grand Rapids Community College before transferring to Grand Valley. 

A TRIO McNair scholar while at GVSU, Bwanangela graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, then earned a master’s degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is currently there working on a thesis for his doctoral degree in Francophone studies. 

“My degree from GVSU taught me a lot, it was the first step in founding my nonprofit. I understood the scale of the problems in my country and how I could start with local issues, before, hopefully, moving on to larger issues like politics once I acquire my doctorate,” said Bwanangela.

Bwanangela returned from a trip to Congo in July. He helped feed prisoners at the Bukavu Central Prison and traveled to a school and orphanage to provide tuition, clothing and school supplies. Students at the school are educated on mental trauma and disorders like PTSD in workshops.

“Mental trauma is not something that is a part of the common knowledge in Congo. This lack of education and understanding causes those with trauma to not seek the proper specialists. Typically, they drop out of school and continue the cycle regarding that lack of knowledge. We are hoping to break that cycle,” said Bwanangela.

To provide a more stable and regular point of support for these young students, Bwanangela and Miracle Hunger are recruiting local trauma specialists and social assistants to provide instruction and care on a regular basis.

“Thinking of my own childhood and past, I find it necessary to help all of those that might go through the same things I did. I want to prevent that, and make sure no one must go through these struggles without any help or guidance,” said Bwanangela.

— Thomas Garrett earned a bachelor's degree in writing from GVSU in April.

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