Désirée Nzamba is a sustainable development advisor at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vallée-du-Richelieu – Rouville in Quebec, Canada.
Désirée has always loved nature. Growing up in Gabon, she fondly remembers visiting natural sights and wildlife parks with her family. She would admire the breathtaking views as they took the train to places like Lékédi Park.
“At that time, I did not yet know that I would make the protection of this beautiful mother nature my professional and personal mission, but I knew that I liked what I saw and that I wanted it to remain as it is,” Désirée says.
After earning a chemistry degree, she moved to Morocco to study water and environmental sciences. From there, she moved to Quebec to finish her training and start her career. This journey wasn’t always easy, but the support she felt from her mother kept her motivated to study abroad and become the woman she is today.
“My mother is a model of fighting spirit and resilience. She taught me to be simple, perseverant and to always believe in myself,” she shares.
Findings Ways to Persevere
Moving abroad allowed Désirée to build a career she loves, but this experience came with many challenges.
“My biggest challenge was immigration – leaving my native Gabon for Morocco then Quebec. Between cultural differences, prejudices and the loneliness experienced, the adaptation was not easy,” she says.
Moving abroad also meant experiencing the heartbreak that comes with being away from family. One day, while studying abroad, she received a call from her brother that her father had been fatally injured in an accident in Gabon.
“I just hope that from where he is, he is proud of the woman I have become,” she adds.
After her father’s death, Désirée took a break from her studies to grieve. While it was difficult, she eventually returned to school and earned her water sciences degree.
“I was proud of myself. Proud to have taken on this challenge despite adversity, proud to have obtained this last diploma when the death of my father had completely destroyed me and forced me to stop for a while. Proud to have picked myself up and persevered when I thought I was no longer capable,” she shares.
Never Stop Dreaming
Désirée thinks about her family and home in Gabon every day but she knows that everywhere she has lived – Gabon, Morocco, and Quebec – helped shape her into the person she is today.
“Today there are three cultures through which I took what resonated in my heart to forge the Désirée that I am,” she explains.
While her journey has come with many challenges, she is proud to have built a career that allows her to support a cause that is bigger than herself.
“We all have a role to play and every action counts in the fight against climate change. What keeps me motivated is knowing that I am doing my part and that I am helping to popularize environmental knowledge so that everyone who listens to me can do theirs,” she says.
She knows that she chose the right path and she hopes young women will also trust themselves when making their own personal and professional decisions.
“What I can tell them is to believe in themselves and not to stop dreaming,” she adds.