Congolese Greek Students’ Voices Reach Greece

The Greek Gymnasium-Lyceum of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo featured on the ERT COSMOS program “Rizες Abroad” as school director Manolis Zilis and student Irini Tsavalou shared insights into the life of the Greek diaspora there. Zilis discussed the century-old Greek community in Lubumbashi and the school which follows the Greek curriculum and hosts approximately 60 to 65 students, primarily second and third generation Greeks and children of mixed families.

The school participated in “Το Βήμα της Ομογένειας” (The Diaspora Step) initiative, creating a student newspaper, “Το Βήμα του Λουμπουμπάσι”, where students wrote about their lives, interviewed community leaders, and documented the history and culture of Hellenism in the region. Tsavalou explained her family’s roots, noting her grandparents immigrated to the Congo in the 1960s.

Zilis emphasized the school’s role as a vital center for maintaining Greek identity abroad and noted he feels a stronger connection to his Greek heritage while teaching in Africa. The initiative aims to amplify the voices of Greek students living outside of Greece.