Twenty-eight-year-old Naomi Lufungula says that growing up, living across different multicultural countries, and adapting to various cultures has taught her countless lessons. But above all, it has made her resilient and helped her find her voice and place in the world.
“The thing about moving between countries and cultures,” she says, “is that you’re constantly aware of being the ‘different one’. And as a result, you’re always adapting, always learning a new way of life.
“And while it’s challenging, it makes you stronger. Being immersed in unfamiliar environments and languages forces you to grow. Over time, it teaches you to see the world through multiple lenses.”
Naomi was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Later, she moved to South Africa, specifically to the province of KwaZulu-Natal, where she spent much of her young adult life. And now, she is settled in the United Kingdom.
Each place, she says, taught her something different, something vital.
Naomi says her Congolese background showed her the power of community and the profound wisdom from lived experience.
“My Congolese roots instilled in me a strong sense of community,” she explains. “While individualism has its merits, my upbringing taught me the value of interdependence, of knowing there’s a village behind you.
“I grew up knowing that when one person rises, we all rise. That kind of emotional, spiritual, and sometimes even material support shaped how I approach life. It’s not about how far you go alone, but how many people you bring along.”
She also emphasises that Congolese culture of her multicultural background taught her to seek knowledge not just from books but from the lived experiences of others.
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“Wisdom isn’t always written. My elders taught me that. Sometimes, it’s in the way someone prepares a meal during hardship.
Or how they hold their dignity after a loss. Every moment, good or bad, holds a lesson. And I carry that mindset with me, especially when facing struggles. I don’t just ask, ‘Why me?’ I ask, ‘What am I being shown?’”
Identity, language, and belonging
When Naomi moved to South Africa, she said adapting to a new way of life wasn’t easy and that this marked the beginning of her journey toward becoming more open-minded about her multicultural background.
“It was confusing, honestly,” she admits. “I had to learn a new language, understand a whole new set of social rules, and figure out who I was in the middle of it all.”
“When I was young, I could only speak French and English. That made sense because I’d spent most of my childhood in Congo.”
But living among the Zulu community in KwaZulu-Natal introduced her to a world where language wasn’t just a tool for communication; it was a central part of identity.
“One thing about the Zulu community,” she says, “is that they don’t joke about their language. They take great pride in it. If you speak to someone in English, they will most likely respond in Zulu. And if you can’t follow, there’s this subtle attitude, like: ‘So… you’re not really one of us.’”
At first, Naomi felt excluded. She didn’t speak the language, and that created a barrier.
“It was tough. I struggled to connect, to make friends, to build my own sense of community. There’s a strong belief that if you truly want to belong, you need to speak Zulu. That’s how they know you’re genuinely trying to understand their culture.
But over time, she realised this wasn’t about rejection or trying to push her away. It was actually an invitation. A quiet test of how willing she was to engage, to listen, to immerse.
“So TV became my best friend,” she says. “I started teaching myself through local shows. I listened carefully for intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation. I mimicked actors, picked up idioms, and slowly, steadily, I found my way in.
Now, when people meet me for the first time, they’re shocked to learn I’m not South African because I speak like one. I can cook traditional Zulu dishes like Chakalaka, Umngqusho, and Amadumbe.
Zulu culture taught me that life isn’t meant to be rushed. Whether in rituals, meals, or conversation, everything has its time. Slow down. Be present.”
Naomi goes on to explain that one of the most powerful lessons she learned from Zulu culture is the sacredness of shared responsibility, the deeply held belief that burdens, duties, and care should be carried together as a community.
“In Congo, I knew community,” she says. “But in South Africa, I saw it practised every single day. If there’s a funeral, a wedding, or a birth, neighbours, friends, and strangers show up. No one is left to carry joy or pain alone.”
Displacement and duality
But even as she adapted, Naomi says she sometimes wrestled with identity, displacing the quiet, lingering question of whether she was becoming someone else.
“There are days I wonder if I have lost pieces of who I was. Am I letting go of my French accent? Am I too South African now to still be truly Congolese?”
She pauses, then continues:
“I used to think I had to choose who I was,” Naomi says. “Now I know I’m not this or that. I’m this and that. I am a bridge between places—a child of many homes.
I’ve lived the culture, and now, it lives in me. And that’s nothing to feel guilty about.”
Naomi has come to see identity not as a fixed destination but as a mosaic, a layered, evolving collection of all the places, languages, and people that have shaped her.
“We are made of many places, many voices, many lessons. You don’t have to choose just one home. You can carry them all—like beads on a string.”
This is a feeling many people with multicultural backgrounds wrestle with. And to others navigating the complexity of multiple identities, Naomi offers this:
“You don’t have to be one thing. You are allowed to be a thousand stories stitched together. Don’t be afraid to adapt, and don’t feel guilty for evolving. Every culture you touch adds another thread to your fabric. Wear it boldly.”
And she leaves us with four lessons learned from living between cultures:
Learn the local language, even just a little. It’s a sign of respect. People open up when they see you’re trying.
Ask questions. Be curious. Don’t assume. Every culture has depth—dig for it.
Keep your roots alive. Speak your mother tongue, cook your traditional dishes, and call home.
Let yourself transform. You’re not betraying your past by growing—you’re honouring it by becoming fuller, wiser, more whole.
Now, living in the UK, Naomi reflects on her journey across borders, languages, and identities.“I see now how each chapter of my journey has shaped me. I’m stronger, more open-minded, and more vocal because of my multicultural background.
If you can move across countries, learn new languages, and adapt to different ways of life, you can overcome anything life throws at you.”
