Welcome to our CLI Site in Nyantende

Our team, our mission

We are an international network of human rights lawyers and international relations grads that have partnered with the Congo Leadership Initiative (CLI) and local educators in Nyantende, DRC to launch a 12 week leadership and entrepreneurship training program there. As part of the CLI opportunity, participants that complete the training program can submit proposals to launch their own microenterprise or community development project. CLI, with help from local stakeholders, selects and offers to microfinance the most promising, high impact projects and businesses.

Site co-founders, directors

Sophi Mashadi, University of Toronto ‘20 BAH (Politics), University of Essex ‘22 (Law)

“As an aspiring human rights lawyer, I try to work towards supporting others in need in any way that I can and CLI gives me the opportunity to do so.”

Spencer Goodwin, Queens University ‘13 BAH (Global Development)

“Launching a Congo Leadership site is an opportunity to deliver an essential set of tools that can help vulnerable youth find their path out of poverty.”

Munia Makki, University of Essex ‘22 (Law)

“CLI has built an empowering program that has given locals the opportunity to give back and become entrepreneurs in their own communities.”

Daniel Johansson, University of Toronto ‘20 BAH (Politics), New York University ‘23 MSC (Global Affairs: Economics)

“I am passionate about development in sub-Saharan Africa. CLI gives me an opportunity to help facilitate educational opportunities that lead to development via local entrepreneurship.”

Social media & communications lead

Katherine Bubalo, Queens University ‘21 BAH (Global Development)

“As a Global Development student, I am passionate about equality and growth throughout the world. Through education, CLI has the capacity to empower communities to strive for such change, which I am so grateful to be a part of.”

Facilitators

Mugisho Arsene

“Spending time showing youth how to bring about development through their own efforts is the real way to bring development to everybody in the country. CLI is the very basis of that development. It enables me to contribute to the growth of my society.”

Elodie Tumaine

“As a woman in Congo, there is a struggle for self-reliance. CLI teaches me to co- operate with others, be courageous and accelerate my path of personal development.”

Here’s why we support leadership training in eastern Congo…

As university students of the 21st century, we understand that formal education is just one of several keys to securing stable and dignified work. CLI is unique because it employs local leaders to train youth on "soft skills" such as decision making, problem solving and teamwork. We believe that these are incredibly valuable lessons that can inspire youth in Nyantende to find their path out of poverty. 

Nyantende: An overview

Population: 17,270

Ethnicity: Bashi, Barega

Language: Mashi, Swahili

Geography: 11km South-West of Bukvau (capital of South Kivu province)

Principal industries: Agriculture (beans, corn, cassava), masonry, mining

THe Nyantende Connection…

From 2016-2018, Sophia volunteered with the Nyantende Foundation, an organization that pays tuition fees for highly vulnerable boys and girls in the community. In 2019, she reconnected with the Foundation’s Co-Founder, Spencer, and together they set out to work with the community to bring a leadership curriculum to secondary school graduates there.

“year one in review” by: facilitator, mugisho Arsene

“In June 2021, our first run of the Leadership and entrepreneurship program recruited 20 young adults. After two Training of Trainer sessions from CLI Staff, my co-facilitator Elodie and I felt we had a strong definition of leadership to teach. We noticed the most impactful lessons for the participants focused on (A) examining the skills that great leaders possess, (B) creating a vision statement and (C) forming a business model. As for myself, working with CLI has inspired me to think more analytically and critically. Practically, I am able to identify a problem or a need in my community and come up with a solution to that problem/need thanks to the leadership and entrepreneurship program.”

Follow along on our Instagram page!

"This initiative hits the problem at its core - it takes their struggles as hurdles to overcome. It has the proven potential to be the best program to help young people overcome the stress of the situation they face, but also help them learn to create solutions for local problems."

Emmanuel Baraka, Co-Founder