Georges Budagu Makoko was born and raised in the mountainous Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he lived and studied for several years before a brutal conflict erupted. After barely surviving waves of violence, he emigrated to Portland, escaping the horrors that have killed five million of his countrymen since 2002. He wrote a book about his immigration journey called Ladder to the Moon, titled that way because for Makoko, traveling to America seemed impossible.
Recently, Makoko launched Amjambo Africa!, a newspaper dedicated to this mission which is published in four languages and features “on the ground” stories from Portland’s African community.
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