The Malaika NGO is committed to empowering women and girls – a goal that resonates strongly with our beliefs here at Luxico. Through a community-driven model, Malaika is aiming to have a transformative effect on the lives of women – and by extension, on their communities. Having identified education as the most powerful tool for uplifting young women, Malaika is helping a generation of independent women make a difference in their own lives, and in the lives of those around them.
Malaika’s work is focused on the village of Kalebuka in south-eastern DRC, a settlement which previously had no access to electricity, clean water or formal education. Through creating a school, community centre, wells and sanitation facilities, Malaika has dramatically improved the lives of women and girls in the village.
Traditionally, women were responsible for the back-breaking and time-consuming chore of collecting water; now, with 23 wells supplying water to some 32 000 people, women and girls have more time to learn.
In the same way, supplying mosquito nets and feminine hygiene products reduces days lost to malaria, and means that girls no longer have to miss several days of school each month. Malaika has recognised that restoring dignity is as important as maintaining health, and the cumulative effect is that girls can focus on their education first and foremost.
As soon as we learned about the incredible work that Malaika is doing in the Congo, we wanted to get involved. Luxico believes in providing people with opportunities to advance themselves and fulfil their potential, and that is exactly what Malaika provides.
We engaged with Malaika to see how we could help, and that is how we first became aware of the two newest students in the kindergarten, Mavunda and Annie. As well as sponsoring them, we’ll be keeping in regular content with each of these two promising learners, providing additional encouragement and keeping up to date with their progress (both academic and personal) as they grow into the female leaders that Congo needs.
In common with many other rural Congolese children, Mavunda has quite a few siblings: she’s the third of six children. Despite being only 6 years old, she is already showing a real aptitude for maths – her favourite school subject. Mavunda’s application to her studies is shown by the fact that she achieved a result of 90% in the last quarter.
When she’s not at school, Mavunda enjoys playing with her brothers and sisters and eating rice with chicken. Her father is a mason, while her mother works full time as a homemaker – Mavunda has certainly inherited her nurturing nature as her ambition is to become a nurse and take care of people when they are sick.
Luxico is also proud to sponsor five-year-old Annie, a talented young artist who likes French lessons best of all and is a future university professor. Annie also does exceptionally well at school, obtaining 89% in the last quarter. Annie’s father is a driver while her mother is kept busy looking after the needs of Annie and her four siblings.
To learn more about the work of Malaika, or contribute to empowering young women in Congo, visit https://malaika.org/
LUXICO PROFESSIONAL | 25 August 2023
LUXICO PROFESSIONAL | 25 July 2023
LUXICO PROFESSIONAL | 25 June 2023