Lisa Nankafu

Lisa Nankafu, also known as Lisa Wens, was born on May 12, 1995, in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Daughter of Yves Chuma Nyakabingu Wenceslas and Consolata Buhendwa, she was the fourth of six children - five girls and one boy.

From a young age, Lisa distinguished herself with her sharp intelligence, simplicity, humility, and deep sense of family.

At just 10 years old, she became actively engaged in serving vulnerable children, becoming the president of listening clubs for children and a member of the children's parliament of Bukavu. This involvement earned her the Amsterdam Award for the best "One Minute" video on the theme of pedophilia - a strong message advocating for children's rights, resulting from training with UNICEF.

She completed her kindergarden and primary education at the Umoja School, and then her secondary education at Wima High School in Bukavu.

Brilliant and determined, she then flew to the United States, where she built an exemplary academic career:

• Associate of Science in Business Administration - Austin Community College, Texas (2014-2017)

• Bachelor of Science in Corporate Finance - University of Texas at Dallas (2017-2020)

•Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Data Analytics - Louisiana State University (2023-2024)

Professionally, Lisa quickly climbed the corporate lader in the world of finance and management, taking on high-responsibility positions, including at:

• Lumen Technologies as a Senior Financial Analyst

• ZARA as a cashier

• Bank of America as a Senior Business Operations Analyst

• Cheeky Monkeys as Administratif Assistant.

Beyond her brilliant career, Lisa was above all a woman of heart, and an extremely devoted mother.

She got married at the age of 23 and had two beautiful and intelligent boys: Lucas (6 years old) and Marcus (5 Years old) who became her greatest friends and life companions.

Her family was her greatest pride, her daily source of energy, as evidenced by the videos filled with love that she regularly shared on social media.

It is this legacy of love, joy, and generosity that she leaves us, to us her family and to all those who knew her.

Lisa left us for a better place on May 13, 2025, the day after her 30th birthday, in North Carolina (United States), in Concord, as a result of a short illness.

Since her passing, we have received messages of comfort and tributes from around the world - including from people we did not know - proof of the positive impact she had on so many lives.

Lisa leaves behind an immense void, but also a legacy of work, love, humility, dignity, and excellence.

Lisa, even though it was very brief, your time on this earth was a gift to all of us. Your legacy will remain a great pride for your parents as well as your brothers and sisters.

Now you have returned to where pure souls rest. Your memory will live on in us forever.

A funeral service will be held 1:00 PM Tuesday in the Chapel of Wilkinson Funeral Home. The burial will be held following the service at Carolina Memorial Park. The family will receive friends beginning at 12 noon on Tuesday at the funeral home.

The service will be livestreamed at the following link: Wilkinson Funeral Home Facebook

In lieu of flowers, please contribute through a gofundme page that Lisa's friends have created: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-lisa-marcus-and-lucas