Mulekye Therese Mukoko is Congolese by origin and American by choice. Her compassion for people brought her all the way from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Africa to United States of America. “Mukoko”as she prefers to be called, means symbol of “Peace” in her Songie native language.

Ms. Mukoko took care of her twin nieces Dorothy Loraine Lewis and Nicole Charlene Lewis. Nicole was born with Spina Bifida disease. She is proud of Nicole and thanks God for her niece’s beauty and brain and warm personality.

Ms. Mukoko being the oldest of 13 siblings, 10 alive and 3 died in a very early age of life.

Ms. Mukoko is a very strong woman full of dreams. She put herself through education while caring for Nicole and earned three college degrees. She is also a mother of four children. Her both parents are alive and well. Yes, she is very quiet and likes it that way.

How Mukoko came up with this sensational idea of creating Uzima International, Inc.?

Through a conversation with a friend, who was returning back with Ms. Mukoko from DRC to USA and had been sick in DRC. This man told her “Mukoko, there are so many people dying in DRC in a day, there is no exception. We do not have medicines; clean water, good 20th century sanitation systems (forget about 21st century). Current sewages systems are old and not maintained in our country. Hospitals are full of patients with no hope to return home. I had hard time even buying an aspirin”, he said.

Ms. Mukoko replied, “it was 3 years ago; today Mukoko is preparing to take this challenge of helping developing countries to come out of POVERTY. Poverty is the most contagious disease, it has so many faces, those caught by the disease are looking for cure and those cured are trying not to catch it again. Those who know how bad this is will never look back again. “ LET ALL OF US FIND A CURE FOR POVERTY, AND LIVE WITH LOVE AND PEACE for one another”

Ms. Mukoko is a current resident of Hyattsville, Maryland. She belongs to the Ladies of Charity and Sodality at St. Jerome’s Church. Currently she works for Avmark, Inc. (Aviation Marketing Consulting) and is the owner of O’Kapi Express, a small international cargo service. She can be reached at mmukoko@uzimainternational.org or 301-209-0467; 703-528-5610. However, Mukoko is also an expert in designing African attires and is also know as the “Fashion Lady” .

She is a member and volunteer with the African society/at World Bank Group /International Monetary Fund..