Mayele Ngemba

My name is Mayele Ngemba. I do a lot of things, so I’m not sure where to start! Professionally, I’m a teacher. I teach Swahili at John Marshall High School. 

I also just opened a daycare center with my wife called "Fast Way Daycare," which is exciting. In addition to that, I run a nonprofit that works with refugee youth. Our goal is to help bridge the gap between the workforce and the community, and also to help bridge the gap between African culture and American culture. I’m very active in both the refugee and local communities.

I came to America on November 1st, 2011, with my parents. We landed in New York and then came straight to Cleveland. My parents fled the ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I’m from Bukavu, in the eastern part of the country, which has been in conflict for generations due to its natural resources. The war is still ongoing as we speak. My family first sought refuge in Uganda, and then we were resettled here in the U.S.

Cleveland feels like home to me. It’s a place of safety and peace of mind. When I arrived, what stood out to me most was the access to education. My family has always valued education, and I felt that it was taken away from us due to the war. Coming to Cleveland, education was offered to us, and it felt like a gift. Of course, I can’t say the same about the weather, but I do love it here overall!

The goal of our daycare business, which my wife came up with, is to bridge the gap between the refugee community and the local culture. We noticed that many refugee families struggle with a language barrier when accessing services. The service providers also often don’t speak their language, so we wanted to be the bridge that connects the two. At our daycare, parents can bring their kids to a place where the staff speaks their language and shares their culture. It’s all about bridging that gap and creating a space where they feel understood.