But first, Cecile Kyenge has had an extraordinary journey. She was brought up in the Democratic Republic of Congo where she was part of a family of 38 children. She travelled to Italy to study medicine, and after marrying an Italian man, became a citizen. She got involved in politics, and in April, 2013, became the country's first black cabinet minister. She faced abuse and prejudice from some of her fellow politicians. Her post as Minister for Integration was abolished when the new government took over in February this year. Cecile has now written a book about her life, called Ho sognato una strada, or in English, I Dreamed of a Path. When I spoke to her through a translator, I asked what it was like to be brought up in such a large family.
First of all, I want to clarify that we didn't all live together. My family was a polygamous family. My father had four wives and each wife had her own house where she lived with her children. It was like being in a normal family, but my father had to divide his time between the four households. For me personally, it wasn't very easy because I felt very strongly that I needed to have a mother and a father to myself. That was how I felt from a very young age. My mother was the first wife, and it was particularly hard for me when we had to take part in my father's second and third weddings. They were difficult moments for me and very distressing because I could see that my mother was suffering.
