Friends of the Congo partners with multiple organizations focused on or led by youth in various parts of the county dedicated to civic engagement, leadership development, movement building, and the powerful vehicle of art for healing and liberation. As shared on our Movement Building page, we are honored to support courageous and creative youth leaders.
Since 2010, Friends of the Congo has partnered with Yole!Africa, an educational center that fosters social innovation through art and agroecology. Yole!Africa’s decolonial curriculum and activities prioritize critical creativity and empower young people to address the pressing social and ecological issues the communities in our region face. In addition to ongoing courses and activities, Yole!Africa, in conjunction with Alkebu Film Productions, organizes the annual Ishango Encounter (formally known as Salaam Kivu International Film Festival).
Yole!Africa & the Power of Agroecology
In response to the May 2021 eruption of volcano Nyiragongo, Yole!Africa launched an agro liberation project called the Yole! Farm which is providing a powerful community-centered model for regenerative agriculture and resiliency. Mahindule, which is a new initiative of Yole!AFrica, means “transformation” in many languages indigenous to the east of Congo. The mission of this project is to (re)introduce ecological practices that increase food autonomy in ways that mutually benefit human beings and the natural world. Drawing both on indigenous knowledge and on the tradition of agroecology, this project integrates critical thinking, creative arts, and principles and practices of permaculture farming and centers the power of the youth.
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Friends of the Congo
1629 K Street, NW Ste 300
Washington, DC 20006
Memo: Youth