More than 60% of Congolese are under 25. For Jean Thierry Monsenepwo, former president of the CCU Youth League, this youth is not a problem to be managed: it is the country's greatest wealth, provided it is given the means to act.
"Congolese youth need real opportunities that transform their potential into power for action: quality education, decent employment, social justice and recognition in the governance of their country." Jean Thierry Monsenepwo — October 2025
La Colombe: financing young people's dreams
Founded by Jean Thierry Monsenepwo, the La Colombe cooperative grants loans to young project leaders who lack access to the traditional banking system. At RIDOPP 2024, he committed to supporting ten high-potential Congolese start-ups — a first step toward an entrepreneurial ecosystem where talent matters more than connections.
Internships to learn, a company to train
Receiving the President of the National Youth Council, Claude Mbuyi, in October 2025, he proposed hosting ten Congolese interns per quarter at COBIL SA. This initiative, in line with the vision of the Head of State and Youth Minister Grâce Kuthino, aims to turn State portfolio companies into schools of excellence for the next generation of Congolese managers.
Training minds, changing mentalities
As Ambassador of the Innovation and Mindset Change Unit, he leads thematic conferences and capacity-building sessions for young people. His message is constant: the emergence of the DRC by 2030 will be carried by a generation freed from anti-values — corruption, tribalism, fatalism — and armed with skills, discipline and national pride.