The Making of a Global Leader

BROKEN BEGINNING TO EXTRAORDINARY ENDING

Athanase Tshibaka’s life began in the Congo – a country of breathtaking beauty marred by abject poverty, rebel warfare, and hopelessness. He was born into a tightly knit, loving  family and blessed with a mother and father devoted to their five children.  Despite the  endemic scarcity, conflict and corruption, his family survived well through resourcefulness and devotion to one another. “The story of my life is the story of God’s grace and the countless lives placed along my path to help me.” 

His father died of cancer when A.T. was 3 years old. “The course of my life was forever altered.”  His father had already instilled values and a depth of character in the young  A.T. that he would carry for the rest of his life. Yet, as he attempted to work through  his overwhelming grief and confusion, A.T. faced more trauma. He found out that on his father’s deathbed, he forbid his wife to marry any of his brothers after his death. This was a strict violation of tribal customs, but A.T’s father knew the questionable character of most of his brothers. He knew the family would not be safe and protected.  Yet, tribal customs also give relatives and other  tribe members the right to exact retribution for the violation. They can punish the perpetrator with impunity. When the brothers found out they would not be able to marry their deceased brother’s wife, they nearly beat her to death in front of her children. Then, they stole all of their property. Seeing this act of violence  and robbery traumatized A.T, and he carried the memory of his mother’s beaten and bloodied body for the rest of his life.

In the years that followed, A.T’s mother fought courageously to provide for her children. She even slipped away in the dead of night, walking 30 minutes to retrieve the resources she needed to make a “bootleg brew” that the village men loved and paid well for. The “brothers” continued to wreak havoc in the family. Yet,  because of his mother’s tireless work hours, she had to leave the children with  “the brothers” too often. That created more trauma, as the children never knew what to expect. Food and kindness were often scarce and cruel words abundant. Yet, A.T.s brothers, sister, and mother remained kind and protective of him and began to make sacrifices to ensure he had a better life. “I am forever grateful for the sacrifices they made for me that enabled me to rise to success.”  Despite their close bonds, A.T.’s family continued to suffer misfortune in the untimely deaths of relatives, extreme scarcity, sickness, and other painful setbacks common to all Congolese. 

A.T.’s EDUCATION AND DRIVE TO SUCCEED 

One of A.T’s older brothers achieved a measure of stature in the village. He had the means to send A.T. to a local Catholic school. Unfortunately, A.T. didn’t have the maturity to realize that education was his ticket out of the Congo. 

He was a prankster and he skipped school for days. Then, A.T. and his brother had a day of reckoning that brought 

A.T. to his knees. He vowed before God to make his schoolwork a priority. To the delight of his family, A.T.  applied himself and his academic performance advanced quickly. The attention to his schoolwork was short lived. When it was time to advance to the next level of schooling, A.T. began to act out again. He became bored and said, “All the  teachers are preparing  students to work in the fields.” So, he quit! Surprisingly, when he told his brother, he agreed that the teachers had wronged his little brother. With solidarity, they immediately advanced to the home of  the principal of the Presbyterian  School. A.T. was enrolled the next day. According to A.T, this began a dramatic series of events that were “the unmistakable grace and favor of the Lord. God was really opening doors, bringing people to help. I would not be where I am today without God’s grace and favor.”

IMPOSSIBLE ODDS NEED IMPOSSIBLE GRACE

A.T.’s challenges were far from over. When tribal warfare broke out, he and his family faced unspeakable violence. They were forced to flee their village and live as refugees for years. Yet, A.T. endured this suffering with the same depth of character he had always demonstrated. He finished high school with honors and received one of the few scholarships awarded to attend an American University. Soon, he was welcomed to Dartmouth College, but not before he faced nightmarish logistical challenges to get out of the Congo. To reach his destination airport, he walked miles on foot and crossed a  river  brimming with crocodiles and snakes in a broken-down rowboat. When he reached the US shore (not in a rowboat), there were more challenges. He wasn’t received warmly by all.  He faced racial prejudice and distain from some students. When he demonstrated exceptional academic prowess, he battled (with grace) the envy and jealousy that followed. As a freshman, when he received an unbelievable  job offer to begin right after college, he faced more jealousy and persecution.

On a lighter note, he was constantly asked humorous questions about life in the Congo like, “Do people eat other people there?” His answers were always lighthearted and humorous like, “Only if the other person agrees to be eaten.” 

Upon graduation, A.T. faced the stark reality of returning to the Congo. But in actuality, he was dying to return. In fact, he turned down a lucrative job offer and faced leaving the woman he loved to do it. He says, “Returning was fulfilling a vow, to the US government, the Congo, and his family. I missed my mother terribly, and I honestly wanted to to give something back to my native country.”

DECADES FOLLOWED -  MORE CHALLENGES AND GREATER GRACE

A.T. says there were more difficult challenges when he returned to the Congo.  He fought tribal traditions and angry American parents to marry the love of his life, Priscilla. His prestigious job with Citibank required him to move multiple times and settle in unfamiliar countries quickly – Kenya, Liberia, Germany, Brazil, Spain and London, to name a few. In all of these places, he faced conflicts with people and governments. He was the banker hired to assess risk. This created enemies as he revealed bribery, fraud, and ignorance. He persevered through false accusations and political imprisonment. He faced professional betrayals, and a bloody coups d’etat in Liberia. In this dark time, “grace once again made a way.”  A.T. didn’t know it, but he was on the brink of a glorious awakening. It happened on a vacation with Pricilla to a missionary village, southwest of Kinshasa. In his book, A.T. recounts how his faith in God waxed and waned throughout his life. For years, he was solidly convinced he was a good Christian, an honorable man, and fully equipped to teach with academic biblical knowledge. Then, came the surprising revelation that God did not agree with A.T’s assessment of his spiritual condition.  On vacation, the couple relaxed. The days were open to be filled with personal pursuits. A.T. quickly became bored. After reading the few secular books available, the only material left consisted of Christian books, and a manuscript by “Campus Crusade for Christ” entitled, Ten Basic Steps to Christian Maturity. He found a comfortable spot beneath a baobab tree and began to read the Campus Crusade for Christ  pamphlet.  He opened his Bible to the verse of the day. “Before I began to read, I distinctly heard a quiet, but clear voice inside me that said,  “Today is your day of decision. Will you accept me as your Lord and Savoir?” A.T. dismissed the voice, but the question came again.  “I knew it was real. I argued with God that I was already a baptized Catholic and gave to the poor.” A.T. continued to give God  his religious resume. Yet, the voice was persistent and urgent. “It wore me down. I was done arguing, no more resistance.

“I began to pray, God, I am a sinner. I need forgiveness, I need Jesus to come into my heart and be the Lord of my life. I felt peace I’d never known before. I ran to tell my wife. We smiled, we laughed, we danced, and we hugged.” 

GRACE, FAVOR, AND BLESSINGS CONTINIUE TO FLOW

A.T. retired shortly thereafter. He now spends his days and nights praying, reading the Bible and helping others. He still has time to be a consultant and board member for various companies and ministries. He is a great humanitarian who gives generously to everyone in need. When asked about the hardest and deepest challenge of his life, his answer might surprise you. “The one that marked me forever was in our small church in Kenya.” A.T. had a strong misunderstanding with his pastor that he believes was the reason for the subsequent division that  split the church. “It was my fault and the guilt was unbearable.” Finally, reconciliation and forgiveness came. A.T. says he was filled with unspeakable joy, like the joy he found after salvation, like the joy of the Lord he still has today. Before he and Priscilla left the Congo, they were driving past the city of Kinshasa. “We stopped at an overlook and could see the whole city. I remember seeing the whole city and feeling like a man who had been covered with mud, but now, I so clean, so cleansed and totally renewed. This joy, cleansing and renewal continues every day.”

To learn more about Athanase Tshibaka or to order his book, Son of the Congo, click the link! 

CREDITS

Author of  “Son of the Congo;” Equity Banque Commercials du Congo, Chair of the Audit Committee; Citigroup, Director of Corporate Risk Management across 77 emerging markets; Lloyds TSB (US and London), Executive President and Country Manager, Opportunity International, President and CEO Emeritus (2009-2010) now Advisor/Board Member to multiple for profit and non-profit corporations and organizations; Tuck School of Business, MBA Business Administration; Dartmouth College, BA, Economics; husband of Priscilla, two daughters, Niki and Mara, grandfather of seven