From Kinshasa to Meheba to Gettysburg
The Experiences of Odila Madiamba
Odila Madiamba was born and raised in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. While employed by the Red Cross in Kinshasa, Odila investigated human rights violations by the Congolese government. He also met with families one on one to prevent children from joining the army as child soldiers.
In February of 2000, Odila was arrested for these activities, accused by authorities of “betraying the government”. He was held in jail and encouraged by fellow prisoners that escape was necessary to save his life. He fled to neighboring Zambia in April of 2000 and was sent to Meheba Refugee Settlement. He lived at Meheba for the next 17 years.
In Meheba, Odila was recruited by the United Nations to be trained as Messenger of Peace. He then worked with reducing conflict in four other refugee camps in Zambia. He served as Peace Coordinator with the Jesuit Refugee Services in Meheba, and later for FORGE, a Boston University NGO. His last position at Meheba was to work as the Peace Coordinator for Refugee Alliance, a network based in Norway that assists refugees in Meheba and a refugee camp in Uganda.
Odila applied to the United Nations High Council for Refugees in 2012 to be relocated as a refugee. After a strenuous screening and vetting process, Odila was assigned to the United States. He arrived in the US in January 2017, and with the assistance of our community, has begun the process of getting settled into his new life. Since his arrival, Odila has spoken over 20 times to various schools, churches and community organizations to share his experiences and his message of peace.
