Asili, our social enterprise project in Eastern Congo, is all about bringing many different types of people to the table to create something meaningful. And one of the most important people at that table are Congolese businesses, organizations, and individuals who have a deep belief in what we’re trying to achieve.
ASUREP is a Congolese water management organization that we’ve worked with from the very beginning. Their goal is the same as ours – to get clean water to even the hardest to reach families in Eastern Congo.
The leader of ASUREP is Roger. A great friend to Asili, he helped lay the foundation for Asili it its very first communities – now, he’s practically like family. So for Day 356, we thanked Roger and his family for being such dedicated supporters and pioneers for the people of Congo.
We wanted to give Roger and his family a shopping spree, Congolese style. In Congo, getting a new outfit means buying fabric that’s then transformed by tailors to any style you’d like. And this is not any old fabric – the fabric is called pagne and comes in hundreds of different colors and patterns.
We picked up Roger and his daughter, and stopped at their favorite fabric store. Their eyes were wide as we told them that they could get $500 worth of new pagne – normally, they need to save up for quite some time to get new clothes. Today, they could buy new outfits for everyone, and then some.
“Thank you so much,” said Roger. “We appreciate the partnership with Asili. And this shows that you appreciate us too.”
It doesn’t take much to stop and recognize the people in your life that mean the world to you. But in the end, that moment of thanks can mean the world to them.
