It’s a story of resilience and determination. Fleeing war and trying to build a life in a different country altogether. This is the story of a Congolese man, Papa B, who took it upon himself to change his world even if it meant leaving his family and friends behind in search of a better future.
“I decided to leave Congo in 2009 because I had seen enough. I did not know what the future had for me, but I was willing to face the consequences. I thought of dying trying rather than sitting behind and seeing my family and friends suffer. “
“When you are in war, you do not carry anything with you; all you will be thinking of is survival. Most people think that when you are coming from Congo as a refugee, you are supported with transportation. It is not the case; you have to find your way out, hoping that you are going to get to a safer place. With the little money I had with me l managed to reach the land of Zimbabwe. I then went to Chipinge, and I was welcomed by the Chipinge Refugees Camp Administrator, and finally I settled.”
“In a camp, there’s absolutely nothing you will be doing. If you are a barber, sometimes you can cut people’s hair on credit, and you don’t even get anything from it. I tell you it is very hard to be called a refugee. That word is very heavy because it seems to carry a certain identity. The moment people realise you are one, you become less valued in certain instances and environments.”
But Papa B said that he loves Zimbabweans because most of them are accommodating, and they will embrace you in society. After settling in Chipinge refugee camp, he realised that this was not the life he wanted to live for the rest of his life. He continued to dream big.
After receiving his refugee documents, he made his way to the city.
“It is very hard for you to live in a big city like Harare without proper documents because they will not know who you are and your intentions.”
“In 2018 I then found myself in Harare, and Mbare welcomed me. That is when I got the opportunity to cut hair, because it was a course that, as refugees, we were afforded. During my time in Mbare, I realised that most of the people I came across just wanted to understand who I am, and they did not judge. I went a step further, and I got the chance to learn theology as I was a barber because spirituality is a part of me. I got my certification papers. Matererini Flats was home when I started cutting hair in Mbare. After Mbare, I moved to Machipisa but I did not stay there for long because as a person who came from a place of war, I wanted an environment that is peaceful. Most of us who experienced war do not want noise.
From Machipisa, he then moved to Southlea Park. The people were very welcoming, and what he loved about this place is that it was very quiet and peaceful. He said that he did not suffer a language barrier because he learned Shona since he was at the camp.
“In my first month as a barber, I got several clients because what I learned from Zimbabweans is that they do not leave a barber for another just like that. I also realised that some hairstyles that people love in Zimbabwe, such as the taper fade, people back in Congo love it as well. I managed to establish a good relationship with other people around my workplace, and they are very supportive of what I do”.
Papa B’s type of music is gospel music because it brings him closer to God. The moment you set foot in his barbershop, you are greeted with walls full of haircut pictures dotted around the room. Coupled with some LED decorative lights and a big mirror. Papa B opens his barbershop around 7:00 am and closes at 8:00 pm. He goes to work almost every day because he believes that he does not see himself resting till he achieves his goals. On a Sunday, he goes to church and then comes back to open his barbershop around 2:00 pm.
He looks forward to opening a shop because he believes that he cannot spend his whole life as a barber. He would love to change his trade because being a barber is very physically demanding.
“But what I really miss is home. If peace prevails one of these days, I would love to go back to my motherland. You can imagine I came to Zimbabwe with no single family member or friend, so it does take a toll on me.”
” I have a lot of people, especially the young adults, who come to me not only for haircuts but for advice, and I tell them to keep the peace that you are enjoying today in your country. When war breathes at your doorstep, you do not think of the future but survival. In war, you lose everything that you think is yours. Back in Congo, I was a primary and secondary teacher, but I left all that behind to find peace. If there’s no peace in your country, there is no progress that u make that is meaningful. Even the goals that you say you want to achieve during war, you will think again.
Papa B still believes his story is not over yet because there are people like him whom he needs to inspire that if you put your mind to anything, you can achieve it.
