“Melenda” is her family name which means “okra”, the vegetable, a fact she is extremely proud of.
At home, the Congo (Kinshasa), her father and mother and family spoke many languages.
Her father encouraged the kids inside the household to speak French; outside the compound you spoke the universal language Swahili.
On a lighter side, Melenda shared, when asked, that French is the most romantic language.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Melenda speaks not five but six languages.
