Embracing Sustainability

There are many facets of life that can be developed by focusing on sustainability. A core theme of this year's leadership curriculum is cultivating sustainability across business practices, personal finance, relationships, and within the physical environment where one lives. If CLI leadership programming is to be successful in the long term we must build sustainable communities of leaders at each of our twelve sites. Maintaining relationships with our alumni, no matter where in Congo they are trained, is as important as the training of new young leaders.

3 ways our sites are discussing sustainability:

• Environment

• Relationships

• Finance

Uvira

At the ACODIF site in Uvira, a local environmental specialist addressed questions alumni had on best ways to improve their community's natural environment. The consensus was that planting trees would provide immediate benefits for the lowest cost.

Kinshasa

At our site in the capital Kinshasa, the primary topic of discussion was fostering sustainable relationships. Whether personal or professional, the young leaders of CLI are well aware of the need to invest in each other both emotionally and financially. A network of young, ambitious leaders is a powerful social force, and the foundation of this is established through a web of meaningful and stable relationships.

Bukavu

At our two sites in Bukavu, Radeco and IFPPD, the focus was on financial sustainability. First, the concept of group savings was discussed as a means for multiple entrepreneurs to achieve their fundraising goals. CLI promotes savings groups as one way of creating long term financial stability for multiple individuals. Second, some individual savings strategies were shared. As many of our young leaders in Bukavu struggle to find stable incomes or are in the process of launching businesses, learning the value of saving money is key to financial sustainability.