Monkole is a hospital in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the surrounding area, the Friends of Monkole Foundation runs a literacy and entrepreneurship program focused on fashion for girls ages 16 to 22 in Mont-Ngafula and Selembao, two municipalities in the Congolese capital.

How did your relationship with Monkole begin?

In the summer of 2012, a friend who was at Monkole Hospital invited me to visit. We had already been helping him with the children at the hospital, but what I saw there made such an impression on me that I’ve returned every summer since. We started by holding fundraisers at schools and securing some grants, until we established the foundation in 2017. We continue to support the hospital, but we’ve also focused on education: we provide scholarships so children can go to school, and we train young women who were unable to attend school so they can learn a trade and build a future.

If a reader has never been to Kinshasa, what would you tell them?

You have to go there, because when you do, you realize just how much we have. It’s a city where there’s almost no electricity—or it comes and goes—and where there’s no running water. Half the children aren’t in school, and that affects girls the most: many stay home to take care of their younger siblings and miss out on an education. What we’re trying to do is give them a chance.

What does the sewing project involve, and how has it evolved?

The project has been running for ten years, and we’ve been supporting it for three or four. It’s called “Improving Education and Entrepreneurship for Socially Excluded Adolescents in Kinshasa.” It begins with teaching literacy to girls aged 15 or 16—and sometimes as old as 22. During the first two years, they mainly learn to write and do basic math; the last two years focus on sewing and entrepreneurship. Upon completion, we give them a sewing machine, and for many, this becomes their household’s main source of income. More than a thousand girls have already participated, and some have started small businesses and workshops.

The trainers are highly experienced women from the Congo, and our hope is that people will come to train these teachers. The next step is twofold: to make the switch to electric sewing machines, which allow for more elaborate projects, and to bring the girls who have already been trained together into a cooperative capable of making school uniforms or uniforms for hotels.

What can an ISEM alumnus contribute?

We are looking for people with experience in patternmaking and garment construction to help improve the training provided to the teachers. We could also really use some help with the cooperative’s business plan. You can help out with short-term stays, preferably in the summer, when classes are out of session. If you’re unable to travel, you can sponsor one of the girls or contribute to our charity calendar. And we want them, once they find work, to be the ones to help other girls. 

What should anyone thinking of going know?

It's not a dangerous place, although you always have to be careful. French is spoken there. And the process takes time: you have to apply for a visa and get vaccinated, so it's best to start several months in advance. 

What do you bring back with you?

Seeing a reality that, no matter how much people tell you about it, you can’t imagine. You realize you can’t complain, because people there survive as best they can. There, you learn to appreciate what you have. You understand how lucky we’ve been and the responsibility that comes with it.