Rarely do refugees get to tell their own stories. We see them only for a moment, if at all, in flight: Syrians winding through the desert; children searching a Greek shore for their parents; families gathered at the southern border of the United States. But through his writing, Mondiant took control of his own story and spoke up for forever refugees everywhere.
Diamonds, to a Congolese person, bring to mind colonialism, theft, and slavery. Refugees make others think of war, poverty, famine.
In my writing, I wanted to reimagine everything. I wanted to wipe everything clean. I wanted readers to know that the real wealth in Congo isn't what was hidden in the ground, exploited by white colonizers. Congo is full of real people. Many of them, like me, have been forced from their homes because of violence, and live without a way to have their voices heard.
Every refugee, from Rwanda to Syria to Guatemala has a story. Every refugee is a diamond.