Meet the ECI Family: Dr. Ange
Posted on Nov 11, 2020
Quand le patient reviendra me dire «Docteur je me sens bien» - là je me sens la plus heureuse du monde et je suis fière.
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UVA Darden: Big-Picture Thinking and Self-Sustaining Essential Services in Eastern Congo
Posted on Aug 21, 2020
"Offering a new model for 21st century NGOs, Asili combines big-picture thinking and individual understanding." — Prof. Jeanne M. Liedtka, UVA Darden
Putnam-Walkerly: Lessons From The Eastern Congo Initiative-Asili Merger
Posted on Aug 20, 2020
"The ECI-Asili merger, while still a work in progress, offers a useful perspective for any philanthropy that sees an opportunity to have more impact." — Kris Putnam-Walkerley, Forbes
Press release: ECI continues to transform humanitarian aid with the acquisition of Asili
Posted on Aug 19, 2020
Today Nespresso is launching a new organic single-origin coffee, grown exclusively by ECI’s partner Congolese cooperatives. At the heart of this partnership is Asili, ECI's new and transformative platform for social enterprise.
Mama Josée: What is Asili?
Posted on Aug 07, 2020
During the development of a new branding strategy for ECI, I was asked, What is Asili? As supervisor of water operations and steward of the Asili brand in the community, and someone originally from Kabare myself, I have some thoughts on this question.
How the women of Un Jour Nouveau turned $500 in fabric into $50,000 in sales — and saved countless lives
Posted on May 19, 2020
Months ago, Un Jour Nouveau (UJN), a local community organization in the Congo, was planning to use $500 in capital from ECI to strengthen their dressmaking program, a social enterprise that helps women in North Kivu uplift their communities with training in business, leadership and in-demand skills. UJN planned to use half the money to set up a display of students’ handmade clothing at the 2020 Women Of Congo exhibition, and to use the other $250 to buy fabric and supplies. As the pandemic overtook their plans, the women’s entrepreneurial agility transformed that $500 grant into infinitely more.
Boston Herald: Lessons from Eastern Congo
Posted on May 11, 2020
Living in conditions of fragility and scarcity is a profound misfortune, to be sure. But misfortune survived turns into enduring wisdom. At this moment of global crisis, I want to share some simple ideas I have learned from a lifetime of partnership with people who have been through the unimaginable and survived.
Responding to the pandemic the Asili way
Posted on May 01, 2020
Traditional humanitarian aid is built for emergencies, not for people. We know we can do better — because we do better every day. Even during the pandemic.
How to Survive a Disaster, Part 7: You can still have joy
Posted on Apr 29, 2020
In DRC and other difficult places, where suffering is unavoidable, people find reasons to live with their suffering. I have seen people find the most sustaining reasons for living when living is hardest to bear.
How to Survive a Disaster, Part 6: Humanity matters more than anything
Posted on Apr 28, 2020
A disaster, even a very long-lasting one, has a beginning and an end. It is important to remember that we were human before the disaster, and we will be human after the disaster too. During times of crisis, our most important duty is to meet people’s most immediate needs — safety, shelter, medical care, food and water. But everyone’s humanity transcends those urgent needs. .