TribesAndHistory: What’s your name, or how would you like to be addressed?

Elvis: My name is Elvis.

TribesAndHistory: Great! And how can readers connect with you?

Elvis: You can reach me through WhatsApp. You can also email me at nshimbaelvis@gmail.com  or elvis@umojasport.org. On social media, you can search for Elvis Nshimba on LinkedIn or @enshimba on Instagram. Feel free to reach out!

TribesAndHistory: Awesome. So, where are you originally from?

Elvis: I’m from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

TribesAndHistory: And what do you do?

Elvis: I wear multiple hats. I’m the founder and CEO of Umoja Sport Foundation, a nonprofit organization that builds safe and thriving communities through the power of sport and education. I’m also an accredited coach in sports for development, with over a decade of experience using sports as a tool for education outside the classroom. I’ve trained teachers, coaches, and community leaders in various countries across Africa, including the DRC, Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zanzibar, Uganda, and Nigeria.

TribesAndHistory: Wow, that’s incredible. So these are your full-time roles?

Elvis: Yes, they are.

TribesAndHistory: What inspired you to start the Umoja Sport Foundation?

Elvis: It started from deep personal reflection on the meaning of my life. I don’t have a typical origin story. My mother carried me for 12 months, yes, 12. During her pregnancy, my family was living in a camp with Scottish missionaries in Kamina, in the center of the DRC. The missionaries told her, “This child will come with great responsibilities. He might not survive birth, or you might not survive.”

At the start of the 13th month, she went into labor. She spent five exhausting days in labor without success. Eventually, they had to use metallic clamps to force me out, my head was deflated, I was covered in wounds, and they assumed I was dead. But I wasn’t. I survived.

Later, I developed a serious abscess under my armpit. Again, everyone feared the worst. But thanks to my mother’s care, with nothing but palm oil, I survived again. I didn’t know this story until I was 12 years old, when my friends asked me about the scar while we were playing football. I asked my parents, and they told me everything.

That story changed my outlook. I realized I was alive for a reason, and I wanted to discover what that reason was. I have always had a love for sports. I became a teacher in 2007, and in 2013, I came across the concept of “sport for development.” I started translating for English-speaking coaches training in Lubumbashi and realized that sports could be used to teach life lessons.

Over the years, I got accredited and began traveling to train communities. But by 2020, I asked myself: why am I doing this abroad and not at home? That question led to the birth of the Umoja Sport Foundation in 2022. “Umoja” means unity. We use sport to attract people, then engage them in conversations about social issues and brainstorm solutions together.

TribesAndHistory: That story is so powerful. Not many people can say they were born after 12 months of pregnancy, and to survive all of that, it’s inspiring how you turned such a painful beginning into a mission to help others. Can you now tell us more about Umoja Sport itself?

Elvis: Absolutely. Umoja Sport Foundation is a nonprofit based in the DRC. Our mission is to build safe, thriving communities for everyone, regardless of their background, through the power of sport and education.

Our vision is a Congo where youth are aware of the challenges facing them, have equal access to education and opportunities, and are empowered to solve problems sustainably and creatively.

We run three key programs:

1. Sport for Development
   We use structured sports sessions to address issues like gender equality, education, health and wellness, climate change, and economic growth. We have a unique pedagogy that incorporates learning into games.
   
2. Education
   This includes:
   
   • French and English literacy
     
   • Reproductive health (family planning, menstrual health)
     
   • Family health (malaria, waterborne diseases, blood pressure awareness)
     
3. We are proud to be the first and currently only organization in the DRC distributing menstrual cups for free, thanks to our partnership with Couldyoucups. These cups are reusable for up to 10 years.
   
4. Economic Empowerment
   We currently offer sewing training combined with financial literacy. The plan is to expand to skills like electrical work, mechanics, welding, and driving. Most of our participants are women and youth from rural areas who didn’t complete their education due to early pregnancy or marriage. We want to give them a second chance to learn a skill and become self-reliant.
   

While we started with sport, we quickly realized that sport alone is not enough. It’s a powerful catalyst for mindset shifts, but we also need tangible tools like education and economic empowerment to truly uplift communities.

TribesAndHistory: That’s truly transformative. Your work reminds me of “Chess in the Slums” in Nigeria, where Chess is used as a gateway for empowerment. What you’re doing with Umoga Sport is much broader, equipping people with both a mindset and skills. That’s huge.

Elvis: Thank you! I look forward to connecting with other African founders like that. Collaboration is key.

TribesAndHistory: Speaking of leadership, can you share a pivotal moment that significantly shaped the leader you are today?

Elvis: My childhood was filled with challenges. Health issues almost took my life multiple times, at birth, and later when I temporarily lost my eyesight. I missed school for months but recovered.

Financially, we struggled too. My father was a pastor, and with eight children, school fees were a constant burden. Education in the DRC isn’t free, you pay teachers monthly and the government quarterly. Often, I was sent home for unpaid fees. But my father fought hard for my education. He’s my hero. Without him, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to study.

Professionally, working previously with a local NGO opened my eyes to new practices and international networks. I learned from both the successes and failures of others.

The turning point came when I joined the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), started by Barack Obama. In 2023, I studied business and entrepreneurship at the YALI Center. In 2024, I became a Mandela Washington Fellow and spent two months in the U.S. studying leadership. That experience helped me discover my strengths and grow tremendously.

TribesAndHistory: Thank you. So now, what legacy do you hope to leave for the next generation of Africans?

Elvis: The legacy I want to leave is Umoja Sport. But more importantly, I want it to outlive me and belong to the community, not just me or my family. That’s why we train youth, hire those who are willing to learn (not just experts), and foster a culture of ownership and leadership. Eventually, I hope to build formal educational institutions, schools in rural areas, to serve generations to come.

TribesAndHistory: Do you have any final words of wisdom?

Elvis: Yes, three things.

1. Protect your image. A mentor once told me, “There is no great organization without a strong personal image.” I strive to keep my image clean, avoid distractions, and stay focused—even when I make mistakes.
   
2. Start with what you have. When I launched Umoja Sport, I had no money. Just my heart, a vision, and my skills. What kept it going were people from my network, some I’ve known for 5 to 10 years, who believed in the mission.
   
3. Build your network before you need it. That’s something I live by. Your relationships may not help you today, but one day, they might open doors.
   

And finally, just start. You don’t need to have everything figured out. Start where you are, and the path will begin to reveal itself.

TribesAndHistory: Beautifully said. Thank you so much, Elvis. We’re excited to follow the journey of Umoga Sport, and we can’t wait to see everything you’ll build in the years to come.