Name: Ilunga Kabwika Serge Organisation: Vodacom Congo Position/Role: Transmission Manager  Physical Address: Centre de Calcul, UCAD, Dakar Country: Democratic Republic of Congo Nominated by: Patrice Mpiku, Core Data Network Manager - Vodacom Congo
	Region: Independent

Statement

After completing his program in Electronics Engineering at the University of Kinshasa, he started his career as a field technician at Congo Korea Telecom which was providing Dialup Internet Access in Kinshasa. His passion for computers and programming during his student life allowed him to gain knowledge needed for the Job. As a student, he enjoyed developing programs and deploying networks for cyber cafes. He also spent a lot of time reading books on computer networks and programming languages.

After Congo Korea Telecom, he got a new job in another company, Vodacom. Over there, he started as a manager of a rural sites. During his stay in rural areas, he saw the impact cellphones had in the life of people and how they contributed to empower them as well. That experience has tremendously contributed to build in him the conviction that Internet and Information Technologies were undeniable important tools for development. This has been a motto in his life since then.

As an engineer, he believes that his contribution in the advancement of his community would be to do the best in his power to put technology to the service of people for their well-being. He has acted upon it throughout his professional life where he has been actively involved in several key projects allowing to put the power of Internet in people’s hands (the 1st connection in D.R. Congo to the Undersea Cable EASSY, launching of GPRS and 3G service, Optic Fiber deployment in Kinshasa, Network IP Transformation etc.).

Beside the professional life, he’s also actively involved in nonprofit organizations aimed to promote the use of ICT through capacity building programs, innovation and creativity fostering. Those activities have led him to preside over the BSD Congo since 2012. Under his leadership, more than 200 students have been trained, conferences about Internet Governance organized, etc. One of his main focuses was to work hard to put in place RDC Nog etc. Those achievements with BSD Congo have led him to get involved into the organization committee of the first National Internet Governance Forum and in the redaction of the legal framework managing the D.R. Congo ccTLD.

His contribution to AFRINIC will be serving the community and putting the technology into the hands of Africans for the well being the continent. This will also be an opportunity to learn and enforce leadership capacity as well as being able to produce more impact in this community. 

The following questions were posed to each candidate by the Nominations Committee and for the candidates that answered, the responses have been published below for the community's information:

Question 1

If you are elected, what do you want to personally accomplish?

Internet, Network put in place by the need to have a communication infrastructure that can survive a nuclear disaster has put a huge innovation power in the hands of end users.  

Internet has revuliotionalized the very fabric of human communication and exchange.  The multi stake holder approach in the way it is governed and developed is critical in keeping the potential of innovation it can have on our world.

My ambition is to work if I’m elected for a greater involvement of African youth in Internet Management and greater accountability in its use for the development of the continent. I will work to bring up to everyone the possibility the possibility to be connected, share ideas and work to make life better.

Question 2

What Business Management and Leadership skills will you bring to AfriNIC?

I will bring to AfriNIC, my Leadership skill shown through BSDCongo in fostering youth mainly within Kinshasa Universities for knowledge sharing and local problems solving.

Through the activities organized since 2004, our Organization has trained more than 250 students, appointed , empowered young instructors and stimulated the creation of 4 students clubs (community). 

Being a continental Organization, AfriNIC need a democratic style that will promote individual initiatives, foster innovations and get everybody involved in the work for its success.

Occupying a Manager position in the company for which I work, I’ve acquired proven skills in preparing managing, negotiating Budgets in accordance with the objectives and target to be achieved. Telecommunications being a changing sector, I will bring my ability to cope with those rapid changes and reflect them in tools to use to achieve those objectives.

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