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Malembe Rise: Empowering Democratic Republic of the Congo Through Education

February 23, 2022|by Spave

Spave is proud to spotlight our featured nonprofit partner, Malembe Rise.

Malembe Rise is a non-governmental, nonprofit organization working to foster education and community service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Malembe” comes from the commonly spoken phrase "malembe, malembe" which means  “slowly, slowly, step by step with intention and purpose” in Lingala, the predominant language of the DRC. It’s a fitting name for an organization committed to transforming the lives of families and communities through education that focuses first on the assets in individuals, and in the community where they live.

Malembe Rise's operation is two-pronged. First is teacher development, which focuses on empowering teachers with new strategies and best practices for enhancing 21st Century skills in the classroom. The long-term goal is to have the program's curriculum integrated by the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ministry of Education.

The second prong of Malembe Rise's efforts in the DRC is its student leadership club. This program fosters the advancement of students, who voluntarily participate in the club, as future leaders by providing them with experiences and real-world skills to address issues in their communities like clean water, nutrition, and sustainability. Students share what they've learned with their communities, which results in a large-scale transference of practical knowledge that reaps benefits for all. 

Malembe Rise was co-founded in 2003 by Dr, Ann Marie Thompson, who was born and raised in Congo. After moving to America, Thompson realized her heart was still in Central Africa, setting her on a lifelong path to work alongside the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to chase their dreams despite their circumstances. Thompson recognized the best way to accomplish this goal was through supporting educational opportunities and investing in Congolese educators, which is how Malembe Rise was started.

Malembe Rise has another long-term goal to open a lab school in the Democratic of the Congo where teachers can meet and collaborate to share strategies and learn new skills. This, along with Malembe Rise's other efforts, are vital here. DRCongo  is a populous nation with over half of the people under the age of 18. Quality education is critical for DRCongo. Many primary school teachers have not received adequate training.  Malembe Rise works alongside teachers to stand in this gap and provide critical training and support for educators to develop their skills. 

If Congo is stable and thriving, this will have a positive impact on the whole of Africa and radiate around the globe.  The DRC is home to the second-largest rainforest in the world and is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of national resources, yet many Congolese live on less than $2 per day. Malembe Rise is committed to investing in Congolese who will create long-term, sustainable change in their communities.  Malembe Rise believes learning is both transferable and something that can never be taken away from a teacher or student. An investment in education is an investment in a brighter future. 

At Spave, we are honored to support Malembe Rise in its mission to work alongside those in need at such a critical time. Malembe Rise is collaborating with the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to transform the region, and together we are working to expand Malembe Rise's reach, increase its sponsorship, and help it impact even more lives. We invite you to join us in supporting Malembe Rise through the Spave app today!