"Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity; it is an act of justice."
Nelson Mandela
Life in the Democratic Republic of Congo
An estimated five million Congolese have lost their lives due to extreme poverty and conflict since independence in 1960. Today, families continue to struggle because of the country’s economic instability, an outdated education system, and an acute lack of government support and integrity.
At Totonga Bomoi we’re unwilling to accept this reality and hope you’ll join us in working towards paving a creative way out of poverty.
The Totonga Bomoi Model
Did you know that the global artisan economy is worth more than $30 billion? That makes artisanal handcrafts one of the highest generating revenue streams for developing countries around the world, second only to agriculture.
Totonga Bomoi connects Congolese artisans to global consumers in order to lift the most marginalized and vulnerable populations out of poverty. Built on a platform of strong and sustainable business practices, we prioritize economic justice and human dignity as pathways out of poverty.
Our model is really quite simple. All of our products are handmade by artisans in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We educate and invest in these entrepreneurs so that they can create and manage successful businesses while strengthening their creative talents by working together in local cooperatives. By bringing their products to the global marketplace, we offer our consumers the opportunity to invest in sustainable growth, economic justice, and human dignity in the Congo.
Our Impact
Since launching the first-ever artisan cooperative in the Ituri district of Congo in 2014, our artisans have more than doubled their average annual income. Through a partnership with Yobel International, our 2015 business trainings impacted the lives of over 200 individuals and from the time we opened our artisan studio in Congo, we have hired three on-the-ground support staff, trained five additional artisans, and established ourselves as a respectable business providing high-quality tailoring to local residents.
But that’s not all.
Our social enterprise model was placed among the top 20% of innovative solutions for solving poverty by the Global Fellowship series of Echoing Green. Our global consumer base now spans 18 countries, and tens of thousands in sales.
It's time to take action
Our mission is to create and empower sustainable artisan cooperatives across the Congo. We will accomplish our goal, with your support, by connecting Congolese artisans to global consumers so that families and communities can thrive!
Today, we aim to strengthen our pilot cooperative and launch a second artisan cooperative focusing on copper and metal work that will employ and bring hope to the men of Congo. Since the beginning, local men have asked that we create something for them, too. In the U.S., children born into fatherless homes have a higher risk of drug abuse, suicide, and crime. While data is unavailable for Congo, these realities transcend national boundaries. We intend to guarantee that fatherhood in Congo is valued, and that their strong work ethic benefits both their families and communities.
"When I first met up with my friends in Congo to create our cooperative, I wasn't sure what our business model would look like, but what I did know is that my year spent as a volunteer in Africa changed my life. As I encountered suffering and tragedy, I also grew in grace and fellowship within the local community. A day never goes by when I'm not inspired by the creativity and resilience of our artisans, and it is my hope that together we will renew and elevate our collective image of Africa so that we, too, may see the true beauty and endless joy that abounds in our world today."
Katie Hile, Founder + CEO
THE IMPACT OF YOUR INVESTMENT