The MBÛRÜ Foundation

Among us it is said that 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. When I sought a name for this Foundation, this was the image that came to me: that of the Central African woman from whom everything is expected and to whom so little is given. MBÛRÜ, the palm tree, is not an ornamental metaphor but a debt we acknowledge.

The Foundation was born in August 2024. A first year is measured not by what it achieves, but by what it founds and by the honesty with which it looks at the road ahead.

I felt that honesty in Bangui, during the selection of the girls. We wanted to support twenty-five; only fifteen met what we expected. That number gripped my heart — it says nothing against these girls and everything about what we, as a society, have failed to give them.

I also saw what trust, once returned, can bring to life. In Mbaïki, nearly two hundred and fifteen women answered the call at the launch of SARA SAVON. In Bangui, mentors speak of their mentees as their own daughters. Such moments cannot be counted; yet they are what hold me.

I owe you the truth about our means: everything was accomplished on our own resources. For 2026, I do not promise to 'continue our efforts': I commit to growing with method, to being accountable — to them first — and to having our work evaluated by others, for trust is earned and verified.

The palm tree refuses nothing. It is now for us to give back a little of what it bears.