Building Agribusinesses to end Poverty in DR Congo

In the recent past the term "Social Enterprise" has been en vogue as many corporations and organizations worldwide have shifted this term into their vernacular. But what does Social Enterprise mean? The 'By the Book' definition of Social Enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in human and environmental well-being as well as maximizing social impact alongside profit for external stakeholders. But what does Social Enterprise mean for Mavuno and for our partner communities in Congo? We at Mavuno believe that social enterprise creates an avenue by which our partners can create their own opportunities to thrive and unlock their vast human potential. Instead of working off of the old models of aid disbursal and relief efforts, we are providing our partners with the framework and resources to define their own future through their own businesses. The grand vision of Mavuno is to create Mavuno Enterprises, a model which will create, promote and develop Congolese businesses by the Congolese for the Congolese. It is businesses like this, businesses in which our partners have a sense of ownership, responsibility and pride, that will succeed, thrive and break the barriers of poverty towards prosperity. Currently, our Director of Enterprise Kirtika Singh is on-site in the Congo working to build this framework. As we have always done, she is there listening and observing the members of our partner communities learning about what kinds of businesses people are interested in building and creating the best framework for developing them moving forward. Over the coming weeks, Kirtika and the rest of our Enterprise Team will be working tirelessly to build Mavuno Enterprises and create the framework that will allow all of our partners to thrive. Stay tuned for more updates on the progress being made by Mavuno and the amazing work of our partners in Congo! Visit us at www.mavuno.org to learn more about our work.