Eric Rafiki Casinga

Eric Rafiki Casinga started out as a child activist in his native Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo raising awareness about children’s rights with CARECO (Carrefour des Enfants du Congo). In 2011 he founded the Tellys Club, a youth nonprofit organization based in South Africa. In this role, he impacted on the community by mentoring young people on career path decisions and the training they needed to shape their future. With deep management and communication expertise, Eric realized a huge local gap in skills development and founded Twinstar Training Academy, an institution aimed at training the Congolese youth in mining and engineering skills. Eric holds various mining qualifications and is currently studying towards an MBA. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Eric Rafiki Casinga plans to return to his home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo, to make a visible impact on youth empowerment and mentorship.