The Request

Deo Mwano's powerful testimony of resilience details his past as a former child-refugee of war searching for belonging while seeking acceptance in diverse American communities. Through the creative and healing power of dance, he navigates his past trauma and transforms pain into purpose, reflecting on fatherhood, forgiveness, and his mother's "divine resourcefulness."

Mwano begins his story with recollections of his hometown Mbanza-Ngungu and events in the Zairian capital of Kinshasa, where his father was stationed before the fall of the Mobutu regime as an officer aligned with the prominent general Dantien Mahele, a would-be peacemaker. Reflecting on the colonial legacy, the linguistic mélange, the abundant flavors, textures, and music of his childhood, Mwano takes readers on a journey through the conflicts that shaped the Democratic Republic of Congo, the political upheavals, and war that forcibly resettled his family thousands of miles from his birthplace.

In New Hampshire, new struggles emerge as his family works to build a life in America, never far from the memories of the violence they escaped. As Mwano shoulders responsibilities beyond his years, he is thrust into early adulthood. Seeking community through faith, refuge in dance, and healing in sharing his story, he searches for a way forward. Anchoring him on this difficult path is his father’s lasting charge: “Take care of the people I love. Take care of your mother and your little brothers.”