Co-founder Ann Marie Thomson was born and raised in Congo where she made life-long friendships with those around her. When she came to America, she couldn't stop thinking about her friends, and the unfortunate issues they had to deal with in such a beautiful community full of life, hard work, and hope.

“I spent hours as often as I could in the village with my Congolese friends... cooking, sitting and talking, climbing trees, playing, dancing, singing. Kagu was my closest friend; we connected at a heart level that is rare to find.”

Ann Marie and her husband Jim often left America to visit Kagu. Her son, Mindo, had dreams of becoming a nurse. Though a severe civil war was happening, Mindo managed to make it to Kinshasa to study (900 miles west of where Ann Marie and Kagu grew up). Tragically, before he could reach his dream, he passed away of tuberculosis—a treatable disease.

“When Mindo died, I was devastated. There seemed no way to redeem this situation... one that needed not have ever happened, but for the devastation of the healthcare system in DR Congo as a result of the years of civil war and unrest.”

It was then that Ann Marie and Jim decided that many issues in DR Congo rooted in education. Giving Back to Africa was born, which became Malembe Rise in 2020, and continues to grow with each new education initiative.

“Investing in the education of Congolese young people, we felt, was the best way to give back to all those Congolese who had invested so much in mine.”