Central African foundation
Educate a girl, support a woman, transform a nation.
MBÛRÜ, the palm tree, supports girls toward quality education and rural women toward economic autonomy, in the Central African Republic. A locally rooted organisation, accountable first to the women and girls it serves.
Evidence, not promises
Our first year in figures
115
direct beneficiaries
100% women and girls, across two territories
15
adolescent girls supported
All advanced to the next grade · 3 national award winners
100
women trained in soap-making
Organised into 5 groups, each with a VSLA
11,27 M
FCFA committed from own resources
≈ €17,200 · exactly on the forecast budget
Two programmes, two territories
What we do
Education of girls
School support, mentoring and dignity, in Bangui.
In CAR, literacy among 15-24 year-olds stands at just 38.3%, and primary completion is 40% for girls against 57% for boys. Household poverty, insecurity, early marriage and pregnancy (61% of women married before 18), the taboo around menstrual health: mutually reinforcing barriers. The programme targets high-potential adolescent girls aged 9 to 18 from low-income households.
Economic autonomy of rural women
Soap-making, women's groups and community savings, in Mbaïki.
Central to agricultural production and the care economy, rural Central African women remain largely deprived of their own monetary income and access to capital. In a country where extreme poverty affects 78.3% of the rural population, their empowerment is less a matter of assistance than of investment. In Mbaïki, field missions identified — with the women themselves — soap-making as a low-capital activity with a ready market.
Beneficiaries, authors of the story
Voices & trust
The palm tree refuses nothing. It gives oil and wine, fibre and shade, fruit and remedy; everything is taken from it, and still it bears.
« At first I was her mentor in the programme. Today, Thalia is like my daughter. I support her beyond the sessions: English lessons, access to resources. What moves me is this passing of the torch between us, women and girls: we inspire one another. »
Madeleine HOZA
Mentor (filleule : Thalia)
« Sandra wants to become an architect and I work in real estate. I don't just see a promising student: I see a future colleague. I will keep guiding her in her passion so she can grow. »
Sandrine SALAMATE
Mentor (filleule : Sandra)
« In the Central African Republic, human capital remains our greatest challenge. If more organisations followed MBÛRÜ's example, far fewer girls would drop out of school. CIONGCA stands alongside the Foundation on this programme. »
Thierry SOUABEDE
Secrétaire général, CIONGCA — partenaire institutionnel
Transparency builds trust
An organisation that is legible, findable and credible to its partners.
Published annual report, explicit theory of change, open financial data, 8 active alliances. Trust is earned and verified.