Paul Panda Farnana

Paul Panda Farnana M'Fumu
Paul Panda Farnana in 1921
Born	1888 Zemba-lez-Moanda, Bas-Congo Province, Congo Free State
Died	12 May 1930 Matadi, Belgian Congo
Nationality	Congolese
Education	Horticultural and agricultural school in Vilvoorde, Institute for tropical agriculture in Nogent-sur-Marne
Occupation(s)	Agronomist, Activist
Known for	First Congolese intellectual, Anti-colonial activism
Notable work	Participation in Pan-African Congresses, Critique of Belgian colonial practices
Parent(s)	Luizi Fernando (father), N'Sengo (mother)

Paul Panda Farnana M'Fumu (1888 – 12 May 1930) na he be a Congolese agronomist den expatriate wey live insyd Europe insyd de first decades of de 1900s. Na dem consider am he be de first Congolese intellectual.

Early life den education

Na dem born Paul Panda Farnana insyd Zemba-lez-Moanda, Bas-Congo Province, Congo Free State insyd 1888. Na he be de son of Luizi Fernando, a government-appointed chief, den a woman dem name N'Sengo. Na a Belgian official, Lieutenant Jules Derscheid, offer make he bring Farnana to Belgium make he receive an education. He accept, wey na dem arrive insyd Brussels on 25 April 1900. Once der, na Dersheid turn custody of Farnana over to ein sisto, Louise. Na dem bring Farnana up insyd an upper-class setting. Na Louise educate am insyd music den drawing wey na she send am to de Athénée Royal d'Ixelles for a secondary education. Insyd 1904, na he pass an entrance exam wey na he enroll insyd a horticultural den agricultural school insyd Vilvoorde, wey na he graduate three years later plus distinction. Insyd 1908, na Farnana study at an institute for tropical agriculture insyd Nogent-sur-Marne, Paris, France. Dat same year na he study English insyd Mons. Na dis education make am de first Congolese to ever receive a diploma of higher education insyd Belgium.

Career den activism

Insyd 1909, na dem hire Farnana as an agricultural specialist by de Belgian colonial government wich dem since transform de Congo Free State into de Belgian Congo. Insyd June, na dem assign am to de Botanic Garden of Eala, near Coquilhatville.

Shortly before de outbreak of World War I na Farnana dey live insyd Belgium. Wen na Belgium be invaded by Germany insyd 1914, Farnana enlist insyd de Belgian Army. Na he serve plus de Korps der Congolese Vrijwilligers (Congolese Volunteers Corps) during de Siege of Namur. On 23 August 1914, na dem take am prisoner insyd Liège, togeda plus Joseph Adipanga den Albert Kudjabo, wey na dem deport am to Germany wer he spend de remainder of de war. After ein release, na he found an association dem know as de Union Congolaise make he advocate for de interests of oda Congolese veterans of de war.

Na Farnana participate insyd de first den second Pan-African Congresses insyd 1919 den 1921, respectively. Na he sanso attend de First National Belgian Colonial Congress insyd 1920. Na he actively criticize Belgian colonial practices, dey argue dat na de ban on forced labour insyd de Congo no be consistently applied wey education for de native population be inadequate. Na he sanso call make dem grant de Congolese political rights.

Insyd 1929, na Farnana return to de Congo. He build a school den a chapel insyd Nzemba, wey he order a brick press from Europe wey na he go to Matadi to manage an oil mill. Under unknown circumstances, na dem poison am der insyd 1930 wey he die May 12.

Legacy

Farnana be considered by historians to be de first Congolese intellectual.

Farnana ein work be largely forgotten by de public til Congolese historians begin dey uncover details about ein life insyd de 1970s den 1980s. Na dem make a Belgian documentary about am insyd 2008.

Sanso see

• Stefano Kaoze, first Congolese priest
• Thomas Kanza, first Congolese university graduate
• Sophie Kanza, first woman Congolese university graduate
• Marcel Lihau, first Congolese law student

External links

• Akyeampong, Emmanuel Kwaku; Gates, Henry Louis (2012). Dictionary of African Biography. Vol. 6. OUP USA. ISBN 9780195382075.
• Bobineau, Julien; Gieg, Philipp, eds. (2016). The Democratic Republic of the Congo. La République Démocratique du Congo. LIT Verlag Münster. ISBN 9783643134738.
• Brosens, Griet (2014). "Congo on Yser : The 32 Congolese soldiers in the Belgian army in the First World War". Cahiers Bruxellois (XLVI). Brussels: 243–255. doi:10.3917/brux.046e.0243. ISBN 9782874880155.
• Coosemans, M. (1952). "Panda Farnana (M'Fumu Paul)". Biographie belge d'outre-mer (in French). Vol. III. Brussels: Académie Royale des Sciences d'Outre-Me. OCLC 493473172.
• Doumanis, Nicholas, ed. (2016). The Oxford Handbook of European History, 1914-1945. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191017766.
• Du Bois, W. E. B., ed. (September 1930). "West Africa". The Crisis. 37. ISSN 0011-1422.
• Vanthemsche, Guy (2012). Belgium and the Congo, 1885-1980 (illustrated ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521194211.