Fellow whistleblowers, meet our newest intern, Stella.  Born in Bukavu, she’s fresh off her freshman year at Dartmouth, and one week into her internship in our brand new DC office.  Get accustomed to her voice, because we’re going to hear a lot more from her over the coming months.  We’re excited to have her on board as we grow our fledgling coalition of whistleblowers seeking peace in Congo.

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My name is Stella Safari and I am a 19-year-old girl from the Congo living in America. To say that I am fortunate is an understatement.

I was born in Bukavu—a town in the south Kivu province, where sexual violence against women has reached epidemic levels. My father was a businessman and my mother was a schoolteacher, so education has always been a cherished value in my family. My father was a victim of the Congo’s struggling healthcare system—unfortunately, he passed away when I was 5 years old. After his passing, my oldest brother, the new head of the family, decided the best option for my sisters and me was to finish our education in the United States.

I remember the beginning of the war, which started shortly before we left Congo. I attended a private school in the mountains and it was known to be one of the safest areas, since it was so secluded. My brother usually carried me for the two hour walk from our home to school each day. One morning, as we listened to the daily lecture from the principal, gunshots went off in the nearby woods and at that point I realized that this is something more serious than I imagined. All I can remember is the chaos and panic that resulted from that incident, like countless others.

I will never forget how I felt each time I heard a gunshot or witnessed people I knew in the most helpless states. That feeling is what keeps me connected to my people. That feeling helps me identify myself as a Congolese girl because what is happening to my peers in Congo could be happening to me.

At 9 years old, I left the Congo with my family, not realizing that I was escaping the deadliest war of the 21st century.  My sisters and I arrived in the U.S. in March of 2000 and immediately began school. (I was in the 3rd grade.) There was so much that was new and different in the United States. The way American students interacted with their teachers seemed remarkably blunt and casual. The cold milk served in the cafeteria tasted strange to me. And I used to stifle a giggle every time I heard the word “quickly.”

From early on, I understood that a good education would be the first step in accomplishing my goals. I am now a rising sophomore at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, where I am pursuing a degree in civil engineering and women’s studies. I chose to follow this path because I see tremendous potential in the Congo that will be manifested once women begin to rise up and utilize their collective voice for peace and accountability.

Right now, women in the Congo seem to be powerless victims, always getting the short end of the stick, but this can change. So many women are talented and capable of contributing tremendous amounts socially and economically. In other African countries that have experienced conflict, women have been the key agents of peace.

Ultimately, my goal is to start sustainable development projects that equally employ women and promote self-sufficiency. Projects that allow individuals to capitalize on their skills and transfer knowledge on to the next generation.  I understand that there is no quick fix to Congo’s problems. But I know that as a Congolese woman, I have a powerful voice, and I plan on using it until someone listens.

I am absolutely thrilled about my time with Falling Whistles! Through my work here, I hope to bring together Congolese youth—beginning in the DC area—to engage in conversation with each other about issues of our country, to reach agreement on possible solutions, and to demand that our government start fixing the mess that they created.