BHM 2026 – Interview with Manuella Mutshail Kalong

Why did you decide to work in international cooperation and what have been some career highlights?   

My decision to work in international cooperation is deeply personal. It began the day I watched a documentary on sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, my country of origin. I remember feeling a mix of anger, sadness, and responsibility. I could not look away, and I knew that remaining indifferent was no longer an option for me.  

That moment marked the beginning of my commitment to supporting people affected by inequality, poverty, and crisis. Throughout my career, each role I have held, whether operational or strategic, has been a step toward aligning my work with my values. One of my personal highlights has been realizing that my voice, my background, and my lived experience are not obstacles, but strengths that shape how I understand and engage with international cooperation.  

What experiences have influenced your career as a Black person in the international cooperation sector?  

At the start of my career, I worked mainly in operational roles. While this gave me solid technical experience, it also exposed me to the limits of operational work when deeper structural change is needed. Over time, I became aware that many decisions affecting communities like mine were being made far from them, and often without people who looked like me in the room.  

As a Black woman, this realization pushed me to seek spaces where influence, advocacy, and strategy intersect. Even when those spaces felt intimidating or inaccessible, I chose to show up, learn, and contribute. I am not yet where I dream of being, but I am proud of how I have come. I have learned to celebrate every step forward, knowing that progress is not always linear, but it is always meaningful.  

In the face of shrinking civic space and the silencing of marginalized and disenfranchised people, what are your hopes for the future, and what advice would you give to those seeking to work in international cooperation as change-makers, advocates or allies?  

Someone once told me, “Black women have to work twice as hard to prove their value in international cooperation”. That sentence stayed with me, not because I accept it as fair, but because it reflects a reality many of us navigate daily. Despite this, I remain hopeful. I believe in a future where international cooperation is more representative, more accountable, and more rooted in lived experience.  

As a young Black woman leader in this sector, my advice is simple but deeply felt keep applying, keep learning, and keep taking space, even when you feel you do not fully belong. Invest in yourself, trust your perspective, and remember that leadership does not only exist in global institutions. Local and community-based organizations are powerful spaces of resistance, innovation, and transformation, and they deserve recognition and support. Empty heading