About Us
Vision
Leverage the Power of Scientific Knowledge and Natural Resources to Change People’s Lives.
Mission
The purpose of this corporation is to be a source of scientific knowledge, inventiveness, and innovations to solve community problems and prevent the acquisition and/or spread of diseases.
About the Founder
Musau WaKabongo, Ph.D., HCLD/CC(ABB) is the founder, president, and CEO of Dr. Musau WaKabongo Science Education, Inc. Dr. WaKabongo is also the founder and CEO of 4-H in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2021). She is the mother of four adult children and has six grandchildren. Dr. WaKabongo is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Central Africa, where she was born in Lubumbashi (Elizabethville). Dr. WaKabongo came to the United States in the early seventies.
She holds a doctorate in Microbiology from the Medical College of Virginia (VA), Richmond, VA. She taught Medical Microbiology at the Des Moines Osteopathic Medical Center, Des Moines, IA, as a tenured Associate Professor and is a retired director of a public health laboratory in California (Placer and Merced Counties).
Board Members
Dr. Musau WaKabongo
Founder and CEO
Musau WaKabongo, Ph.D., HCLD/CC(ABB) is the founder, president, and CEO of Dr. Musau WaKabongo Science Education, Inc. Dr. WaKabongo is also the founder and CEO of 4-H in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2021). She is the mother of four adult children and has six grandchildren. Dr. WaKabongo is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Central Africa, where she was born in Lubumbashi (Elizabethville). Dr. WaKabongo came to the United States in the early seventies.
She holds a doctorate in Microbiology from the Medical College of Virginia (VA), Richmond, VA. She taught Medical Microbiology at the Des Moines Osteopathic Medical Center, Des Moines, IA, as a tenured Associate Professor and is a retired director of a public health laboratory in California (Placer and Merced Counties).
Ditu Kasuyi
Secretary
Ditu Kasuyi is the president and CEO of Kasuyi and Associates, LLC, an executive coaching firm in Richmond, Virginia. The company educates, motivates, and empowers professionals to develop their unique aptitudes for influence within their companies, families, and communities. The inspirational immigration journey of his mother, who was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and moved to the United States, motivated him to dedicate his life to empowering others. He is certified in the John C. Maxwell and Franklin Covey coaching methodologies, as well as the Prosci Change Management methodology. A long-time member of the financial community, where he not only built the foundation of his business expertise but also rose to top management, Ditu is a current member of the Corporate Advisory Board of the Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC), a past president of the Corporate Advisory Board of UFSC, and a past national president of the UFSC. Ditu holds an MBA from Averett University and a BS degree in Business Administration from Saint Paul’s College. He regularly serves his community through volunteer work. When he’s not engaging with clients or enriching his spirit, he spends time with his beautiful wife, Melanie Lee, their active sons, Ditu II and William, and his Little Princess, Norma Musau.
Tshiela Benda
Treasurer
Tshiela Benda brings a wealth of industry expertise and extensive contacts to the Dr. Musau WaKabongo Science Education Foundation, where she is the treasurer and a board member. With a bachelor of science in Food Science, Tshiela understands food safety and quality at a scientific level for better risk analysis. She has 19 years of industrial experience in food safety and quality, primarily in meat, hummus, and candy manufacturing. This exposure has enabled her to establish herself and curve her niche in quality control. She is an amazingly creative individual with a deep passion for everything she touches, industry insight, and original problem-solving approaches.
Tshiela began her career in 2004 as a quality control technician in lunch meat processing at ConAgra Foods before joining Otto and Sons to work as a laboratory leader in frozen hamburger patty production in 2005. Tshiela’s knack for results saw her achieve tremendous career growth, as she took up the role of regulatory affairs at Smithfield Packing, in cured ham production, in 2008. Two years later, she transitioned to Sabra Dipping Company, where she worked as a quality control technologist in hummus production. In 2013, she joined Nestle USA as the quality control specialist for candy production. In 2018, Tshiela joined the Food Safety and Quality team at Carl Buddig and Company, where she worked in the production of lunch meat and sausage.
Tshiela has research interests in cassava root and leaf processing techniques and recipes in the hope of cross-teaching communities. On her YouTube channel, Cassava365, she shares different cassava root recipes. Her long-term goal is to organize an annual cassava festival where she can showcase cassava recipes from various world cultures. She hopes to build a knowledge base, provide technical solutions to real-life problems, give back to society through scientific findings, and help bring the change we all desire. She believes that feeding the masses will make the world a better place without hunger. Her recent project was in nutrition education in a rural region in the DRC.
A believer in continuous self-improvement, Tshiela is a certified adult tutor through the state of Illinois, 2017. She tutors for English as a Second Language (ESL), GED, and citizenship exam preparation classes and was part of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Crown Financial Services, 2008. Tshiela enjoys gardening, sewing, and running and has completed six marathons.
Benda Ngandu
Director of Education
Benda Ngandu is on the board of directors for DMWSE. In his capacity as Director of Education for 4-H, Democratic Republic of the Congo, he assists in the operational duties of enriching youth through educational programs. Benda has spent years in education management with K-12+ students and is working toward increasing math readiness in children across the world. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, reading, and spending quality time with his family.
Melanie Lee, Esquire
Director At Large and General Counsel
Melanie M. Lee, Esquire, is the owner of Lee Law Office, a firm located near downtown Richmond, VA. Ms. Lee concentrates her practice in the areas of Trusts & Estates, Estate Administration, and Business Law. She received her law degree from the Washington and Lee School of Law and is an experienced and well-rounded estate planner. Ms. Lee is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Her firm’s philosophy is to help clients create, build, and properly transfer wealth.
Ms. Lee is a member of the Virginia State Bar, the Virginia Bar Association (sections on Trusts & Estates and Real Property), the Old Dominion Bar Association, the Metropolitan Richmond Women’s Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.
She frequently writes and speaks on the importance of estate planning and issues concerning pre-death needs and estate administration. In 2018, she co-authored the book Essentials to Planning Your Legacy.
4-H DRC Cibombo Leadership Team
Ntumba mbaya Lydie
Vice President
Dr. Mulomba
Tusala John
Operations Manager
Kalonga Cibangu Pierre
Music teacher using local instruments such as the xylophone (Mulongeshi wa Madimba)
Kabemba Cibangu Romain
Treasurer
