Lydia Nishimwe

I'm a mother, public health professional, author and multidisciplinary creative based in Belgium.

My work sits at the intersection of motherhood, wellbeing, creativity and faith.

With a background in nursing and public health, and a lifelong relationship with music, writing and the arts, I was gradually interested in one central question: what helps people and families truly thrive?

Today, that question shapes the work I create — from research and resources for mothers, to children's books, creative wellbeing experiences, writing, music and faith-based work.

Welcome to this evolving body of work.

I grew up at the meeting point of two worlds: health and creativity.

Raised in a family of musicians and medical practitioners, I discovered music and artistic expression early. I sang, played guitar and explored different ways of creating, while also developing a deep interest in people, health and wellbeing.

Those two paths eventually became part of my own professional journey.

I trained as a nurse and later completed a Master's degree in Public Health, with a focus on health promotion. My work has allowed me to contribute within healthcare and community settings, including organisations such as the Red Cross and Médecins du Monde.

At the same time, creativity never left.

Music, writing, visual art and storytelling continued to become ways of exploring faith, identity, healing and the human experience.

Over time, I stopped seeing these as separate worlds.

They are different expressions of the same curiosity: how people live, grow, heal, create and find meaning.

Today, much of my work is increasingly shaped by motherhood.

Becoming and living as a mother has deepened my interest in how women care, work, create, develop professionally and build family life — and in the systems that support them while they do so.

This led me to create The Professional Mum (TPM), an evolving platform exploring motherhood, maternal wellbeing, invisible labour, early childhood, professional continuity and the everyday design of family life.

Through TPM, I bring together lived experience, public-health thinking, research, conversations with mothers and practical experimentation to develop ideas and tools that can genuinely serve women and families.

Alongside this work, I continue to write and publish children's books, explore creativity and art as tools for wellbeing, create music and develop faith-based resources.

What connects these different expressions is a desire to create work that is thoughtful, useful and deeply human — work that helps people nurture what matters most.