I owe many of my colleagues, friends and family members for their assistance, support and guidance. To my storyteller parents, who taught me how to pitch a story. To Elizabeth Mary Lanzi Mazzocchini for reading the first draft of this story and believing in it when I thought it was not worth telling, Prudence Papy N-Mubil for your invaluable help, Lauren Beukes for your guidance, Jenny Hobbs for your encouragement, Corinne Abel for your support and for giving me room to grow. Special thanks to Carol van der Rheede.
Thanks to Chris and Carol Cunningham-Moorat, Geraldine Do, and the wise Dorian Haarhoff.
Thanks to Les Amis BK (Friends of Bukavu Cape and Worldwide), Turudi Congo Youth Movement and its initiator Eric Casinga, members of Tagore’s Grounding sessions (D’bi Young, Desiree Bailey, Erin Bosenberg) – you have been inspirational.
Patrick Zézéc Irenge, Paurtia Maumela, Kibareng Tsiana, Bill Morris, Maurice Mbikayi, Josué Bahati Chishugi, Freddy Muganza Munyololo, Alice Wamundiya, Lena Opfermann, Ricky Novis, Michael Tladi, Valerie Barossi Bacbar, Toni Giselle Stuart – true friends never part; your friendship has kept me going.
Lucie Pagé and family, Prof. John and Charlotte van Zyl, Carol Cunningham-Moorat – you have always been there for me.
Millan Padilla, Allison Horner, Pshasha Seakamela – I don’t know how to thank my great friends.
Thanks to Karen Jennings for shaping my voice, to my editor and wonderful guide Helen Moffett for making me believe in my own voice – your patience amazes me. Thanks to Umuzi; to my publisher Frederik de Jager – thank you for believing so much in this project Fourie Botha, your dedication to this project kept me going; Carla Potgieter – thanks for believing in my voice.
I would never have finished this project without the support of Pamela Ikosa Musenga, Lezerine Mashaba, Viviane Ingha, Bongani Kheswa, Michael Mwila Mambwe and Francis Ziggy Konde.
My greatest gratitude to Pamela Musenga Ikosa for being there at the most difficult time of this book. I remain grateful for your invaluable support and great love. Many thanks to Matemba Seke Mathy and to the whole Lupasa Kisanga family.
The true heroes of this project are the Safari brothers and sisters and their extended families for being such a pillar to me: Dia Safari (our family owes you so much), Jacques Safari, Martinez Safari (there are too many Safaris … next time I’ll complete the list), Majirano Muderhwa, my brother-in-law Espoir Kalibanya and his wife Maombi, Papy Bashombana and his family.
‘Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.’
1 Corinthians 10:31.