Desange Kuenihira Miss Democratic Republic of Congo 2019

Desange Kuenihira was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2003 she left her homeland due to the war. She left the Congo when she was two years old and lived in a refugee camp called Kyaka II in Uganda, kyegegwa district. She grew up with her aunt (Kemigisa Mellena) and her two older brothers (Fiston Mwesige and Musemeza John). She lived in the refugee camp for 4 years and then left to go the capital city of Uganda and lived there for 3 years. In 2014 her dream came true to come to the United States of America. While growing up in the refugee camp she was called “meaningless girl”. Because she was called “meaningless girl,” she never believed in herself or valued herself. But being called “meaningless girl” did not hold her down. She still found a way to find the light.

Desange Kuenihira lives in West Valley City, Utah. She is attending Itineris Early College High School and is  taking College class at Itineris and Salt lake Community college. Desange is a leader within her community- she is a member  of National Honor society, and the president of HOSA (Future Health Professionals), Hope squad (a club that you are choose by your peers, if they have problem that can come and talk to you; they trust you to help them in their hardships), Refugee/ Immigration Awareness Association (a club that Desange created at her school to help her friends and other students at school understand refugee lives). She is the president for Refugee/ Immigration Awareness Association). She writes poems and short stories.  She is also enrolled in Futures in Design, a program where she learns how to code and designer things. Desange is a part of Nation Society of High School Scholars. She is also ambassador for it, she represented her school and community around the world. 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (FrenchRépublique Démocratique du Congo (or RDC); often shortened to DRC or D.R. Congo) is the largest and most populous country in Central Africa. It straddles the Equator and is surrounded by Angola to the southwest; Angola’s Cabinda exclave and the Republic of the Congo to the northwest; the Central African Republic to the north; South Sudan to the northeast; UgandaRwandaBurundi, and Tanzania in the east from north to south; and Zambia to the southeast. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is extremely rich in natural resources.The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the world’s largest producer of cobalt ore, and a major producer of copper and diamonds.

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