Our Results
Since our founding in 2010, we have trained more than 8,000 young leaders who have gone on to launch over 500 small businesses and community service projects that continue to improve the lives of tens of thousands of Congolese citizens.
economic impact
Each year, CLI trains and graduates thousands of young leaders who generate more than 100 small businesses and social projects. Examples include a water purification service, a bakery, a soap production company, and a cell phone charging service. These projects benefit more than 10,000 individuals across DR Congo.
social progress
Beyond the economic impact of our program, the ongoing actions of our graduates testify to the ability of the Leadership Institute to train leaders with a focus on assisting others in their communities. In 2016, a group of Leadership Institute alumni in the turbulent Beni region joined forces to gather 18,500 signatures that they then sent to the United Nations to demand an end to the violence that was wreaking havoc on their communities. In 2020, a group of alumni used a small grant from CLI to plant over 1,700 trees outside of the city of Goma in order to combat deforestation.
Other ways in which our alumni have opposed social injustices in the Congo include organizing youth conferences on leadership and peace in order to increase awareness of democracy and human rights, serving as whistleblowers when rebel or government forces threaten the security of people and their property, and promoting civic engagement among their fellow citizens. Most recently, one alumni of our program was instrumental in demanding the liberation of two priests who had been kidnapped in the Bashu chiefdom.
