“Most people really have never seen how a gas stove is operated before,” said Mama Salome, one of Asili’s community mobilizers. “They love how quickly it cooks, and how easy it is.” 

For most of us, it's difficult to even imagine life without access to a consistent source of energy. Lights to flip on when the sun goes down. Music to turn up while cleaning the house. Flames to adjust as you cook dinner. All at the tips of our fingers. But for the families living in Mudaka, Asili’s Zone 3 of operations, getting energy to fuel daily life is a challenge, every single day. 

It isn't only the rural areas in Eastern Congo that struggle with access to clean water. It's a problem in town, too. For the residents of Bukavu, a city of over a million people, the local system is frequently shut off and even when it is turned on, it's risky to drink.

The Asili water business currently provides 4.5 million liters of clean water per month to over 140,000 people through 28 water points — that's a lot of water that people depend on. And part of ensuring that the water is always clean and flowing means doing regular maintenance. It means fixing pipes when needed, and ensuring that the water is always clean, always safe.