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We have observed that “the lack of development opportunities for young people leads to negative social behaviors within this segment of the population.”
In this context, since 2013, The Congo Tree has been working in the DRC to contribute to positive change through individual and community leadership, as well as the creation of sustainable work opportunities.

Since 2013, we have initiated a social enterprise program where young people develop ideas to help their communities through teamwork. Thanks to this program, young people have achieved autonomy and financial stability, and fewer youth are joining armed groups. Seeing the positive impact on the community, we aim to go further and foster greater innovation in entrepreneurship in Goma.

The war in eastern DRC has caused the displacement of many young people from villages surrounding Goma. This has led to a lack of livelihoods and total dependency. Consequently, there is a high number of children living on the streets, begging for money from passersby, at risk of being hit by vehicles or losing their lives, delinquency in various forms, and extremely high unemployment rates.

The Mwanzo Enterprise program supports young people in entrepreneurship to empower them financially and give them the means to meet their basic needs without risking their lives on the streets of Goma.

Overall Goal

To provide a collaborative workspace for entrepreneurs and youth organizations to develop and grow their entrepreneurial ideas.

What the Co-Working Program Offers You

• Hosting your enterprise at the Tree House office for one year.
• One workstation per enterprise, free of charge.
• Free access to electricity to facilitate administrative tasks.
• Free Wi-Fi access to facilitate correspondence, research, and work.
• A grant in USD awarded to the top three enterprises after six months at Tree House.
• Connection of enterprises to national and international networks to enhance exports of local youth productions.
• A practical coaching space on production management, logistics, financial management, partnerships, and more.

SELECTION CRITERIA

• You must have a business or business idea that addresses at least one community issue (areas to address: economic, ecological, health, new technologies, and gender equality).
• Demonstrate teamwork. Each enterprise must consist of at least five people forming a mixed-gender team.
• The CEO must be aged between 18 and 35, which must be evidenced in their CV among the application documents.
• Your initiative must demonstrate its potential for short, medium, and long-term development.
• Provide a clear analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities (SWOT) of your initiative.