Every child deserves a place to belong.
Unlock potential. Create opportunity. Make a difference.
Over the years, our journey has taken us from the co-creation of a new 21st century based curriculum to teacher development to today’s signature program, the Club of Leaders. Together, we are creating spaces where teachers, students, parents, administrators, and others in the community are encouraged to leverage assets that already exist to improve their daily lives.
Empower tomorrow’s leaders.
Give today.
Spotlight: Meet student leader Esther.
Esther proves to be a fast learner who is eager to show us that she is a leader among her peers. Esther is vibrant, loud, confident, and discerning. Standing before seventy five of her peers in the 5th and 6th grade who are not yet involved in the Club of Leaders, she projects her booming voice to compensate for the lack of electricity and microphones.
Esther commands the floor like a seasoned teacher, inviting several students to join her as she folds a large cloth. She is now a leader among her peers as she instructs younger classmates on the benefits of collaboration and guiding them as they work together.
As they fold the cloth together she asks, “How does collaboration benefit us?” One by one, she calls on students who are eager to answer. One student responds, “When we work together the work becomes easier!” Another calls out, “When we work together we can encourage one another!” Another young student points out, “Look at how much time we have saved rather than doing it alone!”
This is the Club of Leaders - where students become leaders among their peers to solve problems together through critical thinking and reflection.
Young women like Esther deserve a place where they can grow, have a sense of belonging, and give back to their community. Esther’s growth and potential is vital to herself and her community. Because of you, Esther is able to attend the Club of Leaders and realize her full potential.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is as rich in the potential of young people as it is in natural resources and beauty. There are countless challenges and complexities to overcome, but the Club of Leaders model empowers students to work together and become catalysts for positive change in their communities and the world.
Applied Research: The Club of Leaders
The Club of Leaders is the living, breathing embodiment of all that has been researched, analyzed, and refined over ten years through chats, emails, reports, and annual visits.
There is broad support for The Club of Leaders in the DRC. Your support has helped us adapt and translate more than ten years of curriculum research into an applied model that is experiencing rapid growth. Since no other organization in Kinshasa has a youth program like the Club of Leaders, we are experiencing enthusiastic acceptance among our Kinshasa stakeholders.
While the Club of Leaders will be our key focus in 2023, we will spend this next year taking on the critical task of completing all necessary edits and refinements for our curriculum manual which applies 21st century learning skills to academic learning. The Malembe Rise Club of Leaders is happening right before our eyes!
Our long term vision is to integrate the unique Club of Leaders model into the national curriculum.