Eliya, 23
Born in Kinshasa, DR Congo
Came to Australia in September 2009
How did we meet?
Eliya and I were colleagues at my first job at McDonald's. We both worked at the back, flipping burgers and whatnot.
What is your occupation?
I’m a registered nurse at a public hospital in New South Wales. I’ve always wanted to be a nurse because it’s my ambition. I studied a Bachelor of Nursing at Western Sydney University.
Why did you come to Australia?
My dad came here as an international student to study for his PhD in Engineering; he studied it in both Kinshasa and Kenya.
After he got his Australian citizenship, he spent a few years working and sponsored us (my mum and three siblings) to come to Australia.
What do you like about Sydney?
Sydney is full of opportunities for young people. For example, my first job at McDonald’s taught me a lot of life skills. I will never forget how busy it gets on Christmas Day. This is not the same back in DR Congo: people have a lack of opportunities to pursue their real dreams.
The nightlife is good too. I often partied often at the Scary Canary, Ivy and Star Bar- there were even Afrobeat-themed parties at the Star Bar.
I’m really into my soccer and when I was in Sydney, I even practised 2-3 times a week on the same practice fields as Sydney FC.
Compared to some African countries like South Africa, there isn’t as big of a wealth gap in Australia. It’s more egalitarian here.
What don’t you like about Sydney?
There are no true negatives I can point out when it comes to Sydney. The streets are clean regardless of where you go.
However, I would like to say that transport is expensive in Sydney. I’ve been fined before by ticket inspectors and the $200 fines are a lot for someone who’s a young and jobless teenager or adult. I guess it’s like a lot of big metropolises, where it helps to have a lot of money.
What would you like to say to Sydneysiders?
Everything works relatively well in Sydney so I would just say keep doing what you’re doing. Keep the environment clean, take care when using transport and support the healthcare workers!
What languages do you speak?
English, French, Swahili, Lingala
Lingala is my first language and is a Bantu language spoken in the northwestern part of DR Congo, along with the Republic of the Congo.
Normally when I’m speaking to my parents, I switch between Swahili and Lingala, depending on what I’m feeling.
French is the language that politicians use; it’s the diplomatic language in our country as there are many ethnic groups in Congo.
I can speak a little Luganda, which is one of the major languages in Uganda.
Teach us one word/phrase from your native language.
Hakuna matata
It’s a Swahili phrase meaning “don’t worry.” It was popularised in the 1994 film The Lion King.
What is one thing you want us to know about your native country?
DR Congo is mineral-rich - coltan is used in laptops and iPhones and a lot of it is mined there. Furthermore, there are a lot of diamonds in Congo.
DR Congo (as well as the neighbouring country Republic of the Congo) was named after the Congo River, the second-longest river in Africa after the Nile.
We have a very famous dance style called Ndombolo that is foundational to popular urban dancing.
Who is the most famous person in your native country?
Fally Ipupa is a famous Congolese singer; he’s huge on Youtube. He’s good at the Ndombolo dance style that I just mentioned. Another famous singer is Koffi Olomide.
Because I like soccer, I’ll say Steve Mandanda, who was one of the best goalkeepers.
Patrice Lumumba was the first Prime Minister of our independent country; he’s an integral part of our history.
What is the best dish in your native country?
Ugali
It’s a type of maize flour porridge. It is cooked in boiling water or milk until it reaches a stiff or firm dough-like consistency. You can really eat it with everything but I prefer steak.
We normally eat this for dinner and if you have leftovers, you can eat it for lunch the next day.
You can buy this at African supermarkets in Sydney; just ask for ugali and they’d be able to sell you some.
If you’re going to Africa, make sure to eat this.
Cassava and its leaves are also very popular in DR Congo.
Disclaimer: All posts are personal opinions and perspectives of the interviewees and are not a perfect representation of the whole country/experience.
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