Ngero Ngwasi Guelor 
Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of Congo

My name is Ngero Ngwasi Guelor. I was born on October 10, 1993, in Kibumba, Nyiragongo, in the Congo, in a quiet village called Kalangala, where my parents, Ngwasi and Magdaleine, owned a field. I grew up with my brothers and sisters and attended elementary school at l'EP Mikeno in Kibumba. I am the fifth child in my family.

The war and the constant threat from bombings forced me to leave when the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP) attacked the area, causing many deaths and widespread fear. Many families lost their possessions and fled to save their lives. Our homeland, once peaceful, became a battlefield, and by 2007-2008, the rebels had invaded the region. During this time, we endured extremely difficult conditions, experiencing many catastrophic events.

By 2018, we were reflecting on our lives, particularly the lack of work. Fortunately, around April or May, we heard about a photography and computing course. We decided to enroll in this course to improve our lives and learn about photography. We are now certified in the first level of photography through the CAMME RDC program, as part of Lens on Life, and we fully understand how valuable photography is to us.