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Giving a Chance to Refugees | Makaya Revell | TEDxAmericanUniversity

1,001 views · Published 16 January 2018 · 12:48 · Indexed 5 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2018 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Makaya Revell came to the United States as an accidental refugee. Watch Makaya talk about his challenging but inspiring journey from childhood to today, as he has just completed his master’s degree in international studies at American University. Makaya is the founder of the nonprofit Marie Mambu Makaya Foundation. Makaya came to the US from Democratic Republic of Congo as an unaccompanied minor at the age of 16, not understanding a word of English. He lived the worst of the immigrant experience, from shelter and foster home through immigration court and the immigration bureaucracy. After losing both parents in DRC, he was adopted by an American couple, and then graduated valedictorian of his high school.

Makaya attended York College of Pennsylvania where he received a number of honors, and recently earned his Master’s degree from American University, with a concentration in International Peace and Conflict Resolution. Fluent in five languages (English, French, Lingala, Kikongo, and Kyombe), he has helped recent immigrants from Congo DRC in his role as translator for Geneva Worldwide.

In 2012, Makaya founded a nonprofit called the Marie Mambu Makaya Foundation. The Foundation received a gift of land in the town of Mbanza Ngungu, DRC, and it is about to launch a capital campaign to fund construction of an orphanage. Through his Foundation, Makaya has sponsored and spoke at town meetings on the topics of United States of Africa, Rape as a Weapon of War, and Multicultural Communication. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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