Aside from the hundreds of young people they help lift up, Esther and Camille from Un Jour Nouveau have a knack for spotting talent and opportunity—wherever that may be. And a few years ago, they saw that talent in Annette.
“I came here to learn how to sew,” said Annette, a survivor of violence and single mother. “I met Esther and she helped me to learn but also to teach others.”
Now, Annette runs a bustling business that supports a dozen women, producing bags, dresses, baskets, and, their most popular product, yoga mat bags. “I’ve brought this to California and they’ve been a huge hit!” said Esther. “People love them.”
Working with our partners at Eastern Congo Initiative we wanted to do something to help support Annette to grow her social business.
So we jumped in to help her sewing team with a boost in materials—cloth, thread, and other supplies—meant to fuel their already burgeoning success.
“We want to go bigger,” says Annette. “We have dreams of opening up a shop downtown. The more women we can train to produce bags the farther we will all go.”
Women like Annette are what will make Congo’s future bright. She has a dream…and there’s no stopping her until she gets there.
Photos by Lens on Life photographers, Operation Goma (DRC): Ngoa Kamundu Kennedy and Basizi Michel
