Biography

It was impossible to stay in school, due to insecurity, war, and conflict. Andy Kisirisiri was forced to leave everything behind. A 23-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Andy is currently living at the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi. He has always had the desire to be successful and to become both proactive and productive. Addicted to technology, he is still at just a basic level in computer programming, but he is able to create some stuff in Java, Python, and Scratch. He is not at all satisfied, though, with just this low-level programming. He wants to rise up from the bottom of the professional world through university classes and experience, and to get a certification to prove it. His plan is to link the fundamental knowledge he has gained with communities in need of help, especially refugees. He had worked for 5 years in the Congo at a cybercafé, managing internet access, typing, graphic design, and other things while. But in the camp, he learned a lot to help older camp residents install electricity and satellite dishes.

The way all things are connected is why he likes technology, but the challenge is not having the access to resources and opportunities for social mobility. His objective is to rise with technology. “The world isn’t a slogan but a solution.”