Trésor Nzengu Mpauni

Trésor Nzengu Mpauni, widely known as ‘Menes la Plume,’ is a refugee artist and an advocate for refugees. He founded the world’s first arts and cultural festival in a refugee camp, Tumaini Festival, which is now the flagship program of Tumaini Letu. The festival uses entertainment and artistic expression to promote economic empowerment, intercultural harmony, and mutual understanding. Trésor is determined to encourage refugees not to stifle or waste their skills, talents, and creativity, because of their status as refugees.

Trésor has won numerous awards such as the 2020 Sharjah International Award for Refugee Advocacy & Support and the 2018 World Bank Africa Region’s Social Inclusion Hero Award. He was a finalist for the 2020 Ockenden International Prizes, the 2020 Elevate Prize, and the 2021 Global Pluralism Award. He was a refugee co-sponsor of the first United Nations’ World Refugee Forum in 2019. He is an inspiring speaker, and his work has been featured in Al-Jazeera, The Guardian, and National Geographic.