Theodore Regeza Kamunga - Democratic Republic of Congo

Theodore Regeza Kamunga is a Congolese national born in the South-Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In 2011, he enrolled at the Universite Libre des Pays des Grands Lacs in the DRC to study Science and Technology. Unfortunately, he was forced to drop out in 2014 due to security issues. Later he obtained a Regis Diploma in Liberal Studies majoring in Business and is now studying for a Bachelors in Management specializing in Public Administration with the Southern New Hampshire University.

At the moment, Regeza works as a counsellor for refugee students at Jesuit Worldwide Learning in Malawi (JWL). He also leads two organizations: Nyota, a Community Based Organization (CBO) and Action Pour le Progresso, which he co-founded with a friend. The CBO runs workshops on proposal writing and fundraising for refugees while Action Pour le Progresso provides vocational training to Congolese.

Regeza has always been interested in technology. He would like to use technology to improve the lives of people living in rural areas. He wants to use it to improve their access to health services and new farming informations. He says this is important in a country like Malawi, where 80 per cent of the population lives in rural areas, and their main source of income and food is subsistence agriculture. He says, “Technology can be used to combat diseases and improve the harvest.”

Regeza got into ADDA through his work at JWL. There he met Dr Kevin Kochersberger  from the Virginia Tech, who encouraged him to apply for the course.

“So far, I have learned a lot about drone technology and the use of drones to solve social problems like floods, health issues, and how to use data to develop maps. Acquiring these 21^st-century skills aligns well with my passion of assisting rural and displaced populations in accessing resources that are currently only accessible in cities,” says Regeza.

“Access to healthcare in the refugee camp where I live is a challenge. When children suffer from common illnesses like Malaria or when there are outbreaks of diseases like cholera, I can use drones to shorten response time and save lives,” he adds.

“I have lived in a rural setting and know the challenges that rural people face. This experience will help me to link the technology to possible solutions for problems experienced in rural areas,” he concludes.