Mira, co-founder of the Centre de Formation et d'Action Contre le Faim

Mira Kovacova has graduated in International Public Management (now International Governance and Diplomacy). Coming from the United States, she is co-founder of the Centre de Formation et d'Action Contre le Faim (CFAF) in Kinshasa, DRC. 

>What did you study at PSIA?

During my time at PSIA, I concentrated on African Studies and diplomacy. Through engaging with both professors and practitioners, a rigorous fundamental understanding instilled still within me the mindset of needing to further my contributions by moving to the field. Coincidentally, for me, this meant moving to the DRC after finishing my end-of-masters internship with the UN in Geneva. 

What is your role and main responsibilities?

After moving to Kinshasa, I was fortunate enough to meet people who shared my vision of reinforcing local capabilities of development in parallel to my work at an international NGO doing government advisory in the DRC. We were able to start an agriculture foundation known as the Centre de Formation et d’Action Contre la Faim (CFAF) which aims to address the silent hunger crisis in urban areas, starting with Kinshasa. We differentiate ourselves from other actors, who primarily focus on emergency hunger relief by creating a zero-waste circular value chain that aims to feed millions in dense city centers.

How did you secure this role?

The opportunity to move to Kinshasa, DRC arose after coming across an offer on LinkedIn for an international NGO in government advisory. As my master's focus was on the conflict in sub-Saharan Africa, I knew my next steps involved gaining a thorough understanding of local perspectives while contributing to development goals. As my knowledge fortified, I was able to see the gaps between witnessed realities by local actors and the international methodology of development. Therefore, my Foundation seeks to elevate existing agricultural knowledge into international standards, such as certification for Made In DRC foods, how the formalization of agricultural labor can be undertaken and providing healthy meals to the masses at affordable prices, to cite a few examples.  

As a co-founder, my roles and responsibilities include influencing the strategic direction of the foundation and working with my team and partners to make it all happen. We unlock new potential avenues every week, a great feeling to see your work take off. Or focus right now is on building strategic partnerships with international development NGOs while also strengthening ties with local partners. 

How did your PSIA experience help you with the role?

PSIA provided a new perspective on how I could contribute as an active voice in the development sector and brought my ambition to the forefront. Furthermore, it has prepared me for how to go about decision-making in high-stake situations and stakeholder management, something I use every day in my work. Furthermore, having had the exposure of being taught by practitioners helped me in prodding the right questions towards better defining the directionality of my work. PSIA created a base community to reconnect my experiences in the DRC back to, something I know will become even more valuable over time. 

What is the most fascinating and/or surprising aspect of your role?

The most fascinating aspect of my role is not ever having the same work day twice (evening after living in the DRC for almost one year). While the DRC has been mistakenly represented abroad by its ongoing conflict in the Eastern provinces, this remains but a limited sample of the experiences of people here. The other reality is that the country has become more stable over the recent years and remains a fulfilling yet challenging climate to work in. On an international level, the DRC has attracted over 1 billion dollars in private-public partnerships and development aid alone in 2022 marking its economic growth at over 6%. Yet, challenges remain persistent on the ground. For example, Kinshasa got hit by major flooding earlier this month which caused one of the main roads entering the city to collapse. Because of this incident, we were cut off from some of the producers we work with and had to temporarily find another solution. As it is an electoral year for the DRC, changing cabinet positions also imply possible political instability that we have to carefully navigate to assure that the interests of the Foundation are represented. All of these represent components of my work that I find rewarding to navigate every day. 

To learn more about my life in the DRC, follow my travel stories on Instagram 

What advice would you give to others? 

My advice to others both throughout and after PSIA would be to let your interests guide you professionally and believe that what you are doing will lead you to success. Along the way, there will be a lot of obstacles to surmount that one can endure best if they are passionate about the mission at hand. This is what sets aside a champion from others. The need for what PSIA students are doing is tremendous hence there is more than enough opportunity to follow through with your passions granted you listen to your interests and nurture them.  

• More about the Master in International Governance and Diplomacy
• More about the Centre de Formation et d'Action Contre la Faim (CFAF)