A personal look at life in the Congo

By Helena Cavendish de Moura, Special to CNN

Updated 1412 GMT (2212 HKT) March 11, 2015

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

A family reunion takes place in the suburbs of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. "All the gazes are going into different directions," photographer Leonard Pongo said. "There are clearly some mixed emotions here. And that is the DRC. It is a very complex country, and it is not always easy to read which signs are being communicated. There is a state of tension and confusion."
Photos:
A family reunion takes place in the suburbs of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. "All the gazes are going into different directions," photographer Leonard Pongo said. "There are clearly some mixed emotions here. And that is the DRC. It is a very complex country, and it is not always easy to read which signs are being communicated. There is a state of tension and confusion."
Hide Caption
1 of 16
A flipped-over car in the Golf neighborhood of Lubumbashi. Pongo, born and raised in Belgium, first visited the country in 2011. He wanted to get a closer look at daily life in the homeland of his father.
Photos:
A flipped-over car in the Golf neighborhood of Lubumbashi. Pongo, born and raised in Belgium, first visited the country in 2011. He wanted to get a closer look at daily life in the homeland of his father.
Hide Caption
2 of 16
A blind man at the Nuru school for the blind in Lubumbashi.
Photos:
A blind man at the Nuru school for the blind in Lubumbashi.
Hide Caption
3 of 16
A young man kisses his girlfriend at a bar of the Ewa Bora suburbs of Lubumbashi.
Photos:
A young man kisses his girlfriend at a bar of the Ewa Bora suburbs of Lubumbashi.
Hide Caption
4 of 16
A local rapper named 9A poses after a concert at the Lubumbashi French Institute.
Photos:
A local rapper named 9A poses after a concert at the Lubumbashi French Institute.
Hide Caption
5 of 16
A morning service at a church in the city of Kananga.
Photos:
A morning service at a church in the city of Kananga.
Hide Caption
6 of 16
A pastor blesses a woman at the church in Kananga.
Photos:
A pastor blesses a woman at the church in Kananga.
Hide Caption
7 of 16