My name is Paul Wemakoy Wombo and my story is one of resilience, love for travel, and a deep connection to my roots. Born in South Africa in 1995 while my family fled the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, my early life was marked by the struggle and hope of a new beginning. My family, en route to Canada, decided to stay in South Africa, captivated by the dawn of a new democracy with Nelson Mandela’s release and the promise of freedom.

Wemakoy is the family name of my family, it's the only common name that all of my uncles and cousins share and comes from my grandfather, Papa Paul Wemakoy. The Atetela have a tradition (until recently) that the sons do not carry the surname of their father, hence why all of my uncles have different surnames, but we all have Wemakoy as a middle name. My father was given the surname named "Wombo" which means elephant's trunk and "Wemakoy" means White Leopard.

I am a white leopard indeed because I am resilient and I navigate life with a growth mindset. Even if I had the worst day in my life, I believe that there is a better day ahead. Just like Nelson Mandela sat in prison knowing that his country would need him one day. I fight to make my Wemakoy ancestors proud.

Growing up in the iconic Vodacom tower, famously known as Ponte City, I witnessed the harsh realities of life. My parents, learning English and working hard, faced the challenges of a new country. Sundays were spent at the beautiful Cathedral, where I was baptized, and my older brother Yannick, who would later become a professional rugby player, built his strength pushing our father’s old car up the steep hills.

In 1998, my family moved to Pretoria, where my younger sister, Véronique, was born. Our new home in West Park, a traditionally white neighbourhood, was a testament to our resilience and success. Despite facing racism and prejudice, my family thrived, with Yannick excelling in sports and myself attending a local kindergarten.

My father, a devout Catholic, instilled in us children the importance of faith and community. Sundays were a rush to get to Mass, where our family participated actively. This strong religious foundation was a cornerstone of my upbringing, shaping my values and outlook on life.

My family’s roots in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are deep and storied. Descendants of the Bantu, Mongo ethnic group, and Atetela Tribe, our lineage is rich with history and tradition. My father, Cyrille, a civil engineer, and my uncles, including a bishop and a professor, were influential figures in their community and contributed to development and education.

My love for travel is deeply intertwined with my family’s rich history. Stories of my uncles studying in Rome and Switzerland, and my family’s escape to South Africa, fuelled my desire to explore

the world. My first trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2006 was a transformative experience, filled with beautiful memories and a deep connection to my heritage.

Traveling with my family, I experienced the beauty and diversity of Africa. From the lush greenery of Tshumbe to the vibrant streets of Kinshasa, these journeys shaped my understanding of the world and my place in it. My father’s determination to address infrastructure issues in the Congo inspired me to see travel as a means of making a difference.

My high school (Pretoria Boys High) played a huge role in my travels as well as that of my older brother, Yannick, and younger brother, Werner. PBHS took Yannick to South America to play rugby, and took me to the school version of the National Arts Festival which is an annual multi- disciplinary arts festival in its Eastern Cape hometown of Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown), South Africa, since its inception in 1974. The National Arts Festival was a critical space for protest during Apartheid. It has hosted numerous groundbreaking artists; survived the pandemic by going digital; went back to live again; and now shapes the arts in their 50th year. It is defined by the idea that the arts help us understand our world, connect within it, find meaning and drive transformation. Finally, PBHS took my younger brother, Werner as a boarder at the school which early morning runs, weekends away with diverse friends. It also included a term at The School Farm “Maretlwane”, and the school applied to the North West Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Environment to make the bush school permanent in 2001.

My father and I are intertwined in our love of infrastructure and empowering Africa. My father instilled engineering teachings in me from a very young age, with the aim of me taking over his engineering consulting business and import and export business. This which led my father back to the Congo in 2010 on an extended basis. I rebelled and instead qualified as a chartered accountant as the harsh economic realities of Africa’s economy, high energy costs and lack of infrastructure negatively affected my father’s business and had a heavy financial impact on our family. I was able to realize my dream of qualifying as a chartered accountant through the funding and support of the Thuthuka Bursary Fund in collaboration with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

Today, I am the Chairperson of the Thuthuka Alumni Community Northern Regional Committee, which seeks to mobilize Thuthuka Bursary Fund alumni to support Thuthuka & SAICA initiatives and to fundraise for the fund. Today, my love for infrastructure is shown through my “BSM Asset Origination Transactor” role with Momentum Group. In this role, I support and lead the biggest renewable energy project finance investments for the Group, which helps Momentum’s ambition to help build the low carbon economy. For these feats, I was recognized as the second youngest Momentum Group Finance annual award winner. This resulted in an all-expenses paid trip to the all-inclusive Sugar Beach Hotel in Flic en Flac in Mauritius where I explored Grand Baie, Port Louis, Pamplemousses (Botanical Gardens), the markets and enjoyed the amazing catamaran.

I was later chosen as the second youngest 2023 SAICA Top 35 under 35 finalist, which contributed to my selection as a 2024 Global Changemakers ambassador. I will be fully funded to attend the international Global Youth Summit in Cape Town in October 2024. I plan to lead Momentum’s investment into sustainable development infrastructure projects in the Sub- Saharan Africa & East Africa. I also want to create an international network of funders to fund the Thuthuka Bursary Fund, aimed at transforming the profession by funding the qualification of excellent African and Coloured chartered accountants.

I also plan on investing in youth-led infrastructure and social projects in the DRC (which are in desperate need of assistance) with the support of my father and family who are still based in the DRC. Being a 2024 Global Changemaker makes me eligible to receive grant funding for the aforementioned projects if successful.

My story is a testament to the power of resilience, faith, and the love of travel. Through my journey, I want the world to know the beauty, richness, and potential of Africa. My experiences have taught me that travel is not just about seeing new places, but about understanding and connecting with people and cultures. My story is a celebration of my heritage, and a call to explore the world with an open heart and mind.