“Asili is a family.” These are the words of Abraham Leno, Asili’s Director. And he’s worked hard to stay true to their meaning. “We support each other. We check in on each other. And we want everyone who comes in contact with Asili to feel that love and support, too, even our staff’s kids.” So for Day 309, we’re doing a little something to make sure that those kids feel welcome, every time they step through the Asili office door. Abraham had the idea to create a play space for any children who visit the Asili office. “Sometimes it’s hard to get child care, and people have to bring their children to the office every once in a while. We want to both let the team know that this is ok, and make sure the kids have fun, too,” he said. So we got down to business, figuring out the things we’d need to make kids feel at home. We had a small table and chairs made from a local carpenter in town, got some toys, games, drawing materials, and a calculator – because it’s never too … [Read more...] about Just for Kids

Every day, Asili customers purchase thousands of liters of water at dozens of Asili water points throughout Eastern Congo. We’re a business. But there are so many people – mainly women – who travel past our water kiosks every day carrying heavy loads on their backs for great distances. And our kiosk mamas couldn’t see these women in the hot sun and not offer them a cool glass of water. But the question is – how do we show this kindness without putting the safety of our water at risk? With a limited supply of cups to go around, and a less than ideal way to clean them, the water mamas were struggling to keep up. The simple solution? A water fountain. The team decided to test out a water fountain design in Mudaka, Asili’s third location and the site of a busy market. There are over a thousand people who come to Mudaka on market days, and offering a drink of water is a show of goodwill to the community that’s welcomed Asili there. “With our cup solution, we were running … [Read more...] about A Little Goes a Long Way

Sometimes, life can be unpredictable. We don’t always know when tragedy might strike, and we’re hardly ever prepared for it. But for our Asili team in Congo, sometimes life can be particularly tough. “People here deal with sadness a lot,” said Abraham, Asili’s Director. “Maternal mortality rates are really high. It’s expensive to get surgery and extended stay healthcare. And for a lot of people who are already struggling financially, or just getting on their feet, one misfortune can throw them off completely.” For Day 307, we had an idea. Why not establish an emergency fund for the Asili team, that they can rely on in times of greatest need? We’re helping to kick start the emergency fund, but it will grow in time, with each person contributing as they’re able. “We accept people for who they are here,” says Abraham. “We’re a business, but we’re also good neighbors and friends.” Now, if a team member is dealing with a personal loss, we’ll have an extra cushion for … [Read more...] about In Case of Emergency

Without our drivers, we’d be lost. Literally. With Asili in Congo, and everywhere we work around the world, our drivers get us where we need to be. And they get us there safely, even when the road gets tough. But drivers are also too often out of the spotlight. They don’t get the recognition they deserve for spending time away from their families when they need to work weekends. Or for getting us home safely during a downpour, when the roads get slick with mud. Or allowing us to build more Asili clinics and water points, helping us go further and farther than ever before. So for Day 306, we’re showing our Asili drivers a little appreciation. We picked up some things that will make their lives a little easier – like a phone car charger, air fresheners, new tools, gloves, cleaning supplies – they take great pride in their cars! – and a backpack to put it all in. “It’s important to show them that we’re thinking about them,” said Abraham, Asili’s Director. “Without them, … [Read more...] about Taking the Wheel

At Asili, clean water is what we’re all about. And our water sales have been so popular in the rural areas of Eastern Congo, that recently we’ve decided to extend our business into the big city of Bukavu as well. Dozens of businesses, restaurants, and shops now buy our water. Patmos is one of them. Owned by a young woman named Joelle and her friend, it’s a brand new restaurant that offers everything from sandwiches, pizza, barbeque, and more. And now, they serve up cold glasses of Asili water, too. But Patmos was missing a few things – the walls needed painting, there were no table accessories (like napkin and straw holders), and worst of all, they didn’t have a sign. So for Day 305, in the spirit of friendship, mutual support, and recognition for the work that they’ve done to get their business off the ground, we’re giving the ladies of Patmos a little boost of encouragement. We spent some time in Patmos, chatting with Joelle over delicious chicken wraps. “We want to … [Read more...] about Good for Business

Books take you places. To distant lands and strange cultures, with people you would never come across in your day to day life. They open your eyes to the world, they widen your perspective. And for many, they’re a do-it-your-own learning method to teach yourself things like businesses, art history, even mathematics. But for many living in the city of Bukavu, where the Asili head office is located, books aren’t always readily available. “Good books are hard to find here,” says Abraham, Asili’s Country Director. “But people are always looking to learn, in any way they can.” So for Day 304, we’re focusing in on the Asili team in Bukavu, and kickstarting their very own in-office library. We grabbed some classics – like the Count of Monte Cristo and Pride and Prejudice – and some new fiction, too. We also purchased business books, history books, atlases, and more. We set them all up on a bookshelf, added some finishing touches, and voila, a library was born. When the library … [Read more...] about A Page Turner

Mama Salome is a woman on a mission. But she doesn’t see it as impossible – in fact, for her it’s very doable. It just takes time, supplies – and an incredible amount of determination. What is Mama Salome’s mission? To teach all the kids in Eastern Congo the importance of handwashing, and how it can save lives. And, most importantly, to spread a message of hope and inspiration, one lesson at a time. Every weekend, Mama Salome and her crew head up into the rural areas of Eastern Congo. She holds “Sunday Schools,” where sometimes even hundreds of children gather, listening to the proper ways to wash their hands. She gives out pamphlets to the kids too, so they can keep their lesson and show it to their friends. So for Day 303, we decided to give Mama Salome’s lesson a little boost – by getting bars of soap for every child who comes to learn. Standing in front of the kids who had gathered, Mama Salome went through the lesson step by step, demonstrating the safest way to … [Read more...] about Asili Kids

As he walks through the gardens he’s worked so hard to sculpt, it’s clear that Gaston takes great pride in working with the earth. “I like the sense of nature that it gives,” he says. “It increases the beauty of the clinic and helps patients to breath easily.” Gaston is the lead gardener for the land around Asili clinics. They’ve become an oasis of greenery, community, and a breath of fresh air. They’re a point of pride for the neighborhood, where people take wedding and family photos. As our gardener, Gaston has played a huge role in making the gardens so stunning. And he’s right in the middle of work for Asili’s newest clinic location, planting seedlings and shaping the land. So for Day 302, we’re doing a little something to show our appreciation - and to make his work a little easier. We got Gaston a tool bag, new tools, knee pads, new gloves, and other goodies that a gardener needs. Gaston’s smile grew wider and he looked through his new things. “This will be … [Read more...] about How Does Your Garden Grow?

On Day 298, we wanted to find out what kinds of things people might buy at an “Asili Marketplace” – a small shop setup outside of one of the Asili water kiosks. During that test, we learned that there’s a huge demand for something called mososo. It’s a nutritional porridge that mothers can make themselves. “We have a big problem with malnutrition here,” explained Mama Salome, one of the women on Team Asili who’s passionate about helping Congo’s next generation grow up strong and healthy. That’s why mososo is so great – it’s a simple, cost-effective, and nutritious way to get young ones the things they need to stay healthy. So for Day 301, we decided to do a “mososo taste test,” a lesson for moms on why mososo is beneficial to their kids, how to make it, and what it tastes like. Equipped with the right skills, they can make mososo on their own – and they just might be encouraged to purchase one of Asili’s "just add water" mososo kits the next time they’re available. We … [Read more...] about Mamas Mososo