The Mission
“If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a nation.”
– African Proverb
Gender inequality remains an ongoing obstacle for many Congolese women, with bars to progress beginning in childhood.
Girls lacking in educational opportunities risk early marriage and pregnancy, reinforcing cycles of poverty and hampering the country’s development. For orphaned girls, it can be more difficult to break this cycle.
In our own way, Mama Congo aims to honour Christine’s commitment to orphaned children by helping as many orphaned girls as possible; every book sold will help towards financially supporting them through higher education and/or progress onto university.
Mama Congo, the book, will be available for purchase in due course. You can pre-register your interest here.
As this is a charity project, with official backing from UN Women, 100% of the proceeds will be used to this end, with all funds managed by Mama Congo.
Mama Congo:
Portraits & Testimonies of Congolese Women
Our “cover girl” Marie Otahendo Tokena (left), affectionately known as Maman Koko by those who knew her, with her sister (centre) and her daughter Sister Julienne (right), of ARED orphanage in Nsiamfumu, Kongo Central province. Maman Koko passed away in Kinshasa in August 2018, at the age of 91. Photograph: Soraya Kishtwari