Gabriella Knutsson

Gabriella Knutsson from Ulricehamn and Stockholm will travel to DR Congo on June 14 as our first volunteer. Gabriella is 23 and is studying social work at the University of Stockholm. She is going to stay in Matadi for two and a half months, where she will teach English. There are 48 students who have expressed an interest in learning English. Most of them are members of the Baobab Church and several of them are also entrepreneurs who have taken part in MSG entrepreneurial courses.

Gabriella has already proven skills to manage many different tasks in addition to her studies. She has worked as a personal assistant, a nursing assistant and a telemarketer. She has worked on a therapy department for the elderly and as an au pair for seven months in Melbourne, Australia. She has also been a youth leader at confirmation camps, a scout leader at home in the Mission Church and she is as well an active and talented football player, currently in Aspudden women’s team in Stockholm. Other sports and activities that interest Gabriella is cross country skiing, downhill skiing, running, biking and camping.

Gabriella also likes singing and music. Her instruments are guitar and piano. She sings and plays in various churches when the opportunity arises.

The Baobab Church with its 1,500 members is a friend church to Hökerum´s and Blidsberg´s Mission Church congregations. For this relationship to develop, we must have a common language. English is the natural choice. Gabriella will now initiate the English classes that we hope will continue with the help of more voluntary work in the future.

Now we want to welcome Gabriella as co-worker of Matadi Support Group. In Matadi, they are waiting for her.

Gabriella will be writing about her experiences in Matadi in this blog, so stay tuned.