Name: Baudouin Kakule Muvunga

Title: Coordinator

Organisation: Union of Peoples for Integrity Community Development/ UPDCI asbl

I am a person with qualities and faults like any normal person. With the skills necessary to provide full-time service in an enjoyable performance; I know how to work under logical, natural, normal, difficult, and critical conditions; even in the most remote places; volunteering is ingrained in my veins, and I collaborate easily with those around me and my staff at work.

I remain analytical when faced with disputes that affect the association and I look for rapid, lasting and radical solutions to maintain a climate of peace and prosperity in my community. I want and will contribute to community development in real time.

Born July 26, 1993, I live in the Nyiragongo Territory in the North Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Holder of two diplomas; state in Latin philosophy and higher studies in rural development with several training courses: in human rights, project management and matters of new technology and blockchain etc.

Thank you to the 2,000 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 Questions on Leadership!

I hope Baudouin's answers will encourage you in your leadership journey. Enjoy!

Cheers,

Jonno White

1. What have you found most challenging as a leader?

As a leader, what seemed most difficult to me was to keep myself on my feet from the start of the initiatives taken and to get others to adhere to my vision.

2. How did you become a leader? Can you please briefly tell the story?

At the very beginning, I was part of different youth groups from primary school to university. I was often on the management team and contributed ideas to initiatives. Before the end of my first cycle at the higher institute (2021), I had landed a one-year work contract in a local organization working in the field of human rights and I began to do training in this area.

Therefore, at the end of this contract; given that before that, I had experience in the design, development, and management of projects; I had decided to set up a development project. It is in this sense that I began to design my statutes and internal regulations of the organization to the point of inviting other people to join me in order to have them notarized and it is like that until now, we are already functional with UPDCI_asbl in this territory of Nyiragongo.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

I don't know if it's bad, but I prepare for the next day's work before going to bed. As soon as I am finalizing my work for the day, I immediately plan where I should start tomorrow. An example: In full documentation of a case of human rights violation or abuse; if I see a new case on my notifications or through a contact from a field facilitator, I take my diary and I mention this as the start of the following day.

And to all work, I grant a very specific duration; (this will take me an hour, this will take me thirty minutes and this will take me two hours and so on). By compiling my weekly reports, I gradually constitute my monthly report and then my quarterly report and so on, half-yearly and at the end of the year.

4. What's a recent leadership lesson you've learned for the first time or been reminded of?

The recent leadership lesson that I learned was my proposal for a new youth club in a local university thanks to our organization, but also our initiative to fight against global warming thanks to the rational management of plastic waste in the territory of Nyiragongo.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

No books

6. If you could only give one piece of advice to a young leader, what would you say to them?

To never give up once you have committed, but also to always seek the general interest.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader, so far?

The meaningful story that comes to mind is what I want to accomplish during my entire time on earth.