Programs & Impact
Buendedi provides direct tuition assistance to Congolese high school students demonstrating strong academic merit and financial need. We follow a structured selection process modeled after the successful Valley Scholars Program in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, of which our founder was a member of the inaugural cohort.
Specifically, our approach involves:
- Application & Outreach: Our local on-the-ground representative distributes applications directly at partner schools. Through active outreach and clear communication, we ensure families are informed of this opportunity.
- Merit-based Selection: Eligible candidates are chosen based on academic performance, motivation, and an in-person interview. This merit-based approach ensures we invest in driven, talented students who will maximize the impact of their educational opportunities.
- Financial Commitment: Previously, we successfully sponsored 7 students for an entire school year (totaling $700), fully covering their tuition and enabling them to remain enrolled without financial pressure.
Understanding that educational success extends beyond the classroom, Buendedi actively engages families, teachers, and community leaders to support students holistically.
- Local Representation: We financially support a local teacher who serves as our representative on-site, facilitating consistent communication with families, monitoring students’ academic progress, and providing vital feedback on community needs.
- Family and Community Relationships: Our representative ensures families remain involved, informed, and empowered in their children’s educational journey. Through regular communication and feedback, we help foster environments where students can thrive academically and socially.
- Future Mentorship Program: In the future, we plan to introduce structured mentorship opportunities, connecting Congolese youth with local leaders and professionals who can provide guidance, advice, and inspiration.
Buendedi’s financial sustainability relies on diverse and creative fundraising strategies. Our efforts thus far have included:
- Farmers Market Sales: At James Madison University’s farmers markets, we’ve raised awareness about our mission while selling bracelets and handmade products. These events strengthen community ties and directly support our tuition sponsorship goals.
- Local Business Partnerships: We’ve successfully collaborated with Harrisonburg businesses to host fundraising nights, with a portion of their proceeds directed to our educational initiatives. These partnerships engage local communities in global educational impact.
- Online Campaigns and Social Media: Buendedi utilizes online platforms and social media to tell compelling stories about our students, highlighting successes and needs. In the future, we will expand these digital campaigns to reach a broader audience.
As Buendedi grows, we aim to expand beyond tuition sponsorship, providing a more comprehensive educational ecosystem:
- Nutritional Support: Recognizing nutrition as a cornerstone of academic performance, we aim to introduce programs that provide meals and nutritional guidance, ensuring students can learn effectively without the barrier of hunger.
- Educational Materials & Infrastructure: We plan to secure funding or donations for essential educational materials, including textbooks, desks, chairs, and classroom supplies. This will help transform existing facilities into environments conducive to learning.
- Additional Academic Support: We intend to launch academic support programs, including tutoring, after-school enrichment, and teacher training, to improve educational quality and students outcomes.
- Small Medical Centers: We intend to launch a small medical centers at the schools we partner with to provide medical attention and injuries common to school.
- Refugee Resettlement Programs: We intend to assist in resettlement programs in the United States.
- Clothing Donations: Donations from the USA are shipped to the DRC and sold for fractionally of the costs to raised funds to support on the ground programs.
These comprehensive initiatives collectively support Buendedi’s mission of uplifting Congolese communities through education, enhancing learning environments, and laying the foundation for future generations of local leaders.
Who Buendedi Serves
Buendedi supports Congolese youth living in the Ngafula commune, a growing and underserved area on the outskirts of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The organization focuses on adolescents aged 14–20 who are attending or eligible to attend high school. Most of these students come from low-income families facing severe financial constraints, limited educational resources, and overcrowded living conditions.
Students in Ngafula face numerous barriers to completing their education. These include a lack of basic school supplies, poor infrastructure, inadequate transportation, and under-resourced schools with overcrowded classrooms and undertrained teachers. Girls are especially vulnerable, often pressured to leave school early due to cultural expectations, early marriage, or pregnancy.
To address these issues, Buendedi provides direct financial support for tuition, uniforms, and supplies; works to improve school facilities; and seeks transportation solutions to ensure consistent attendance. It also prioritizes teacher training and engages families and local leaders in supporting long-term educational outcomes. Through this comprehensive approach, Buendedi strives to turn access to education into lasting opportunity for the youth of Ngafula.
Why DRC?
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is strategically positioned at the center of Africa, bordered by nine countries and rich in natural resources. With over 105 million residents—two-thirds under the age of 25—it is one of the continent’s most populous and youngest nations. Despite this potential, widespread poverty persists: as of 2024, over 73% of Congolese live on less than $2.15 a day, and the country ranks among the world’s lowest in per capita income, even as its mineral wealth drives economic growth that rarely benefits families or schools.
Education access remains uneven and inadequate, especially for girls. Only 26% of young women complete high school, compared to 36% of boys, with barriers like early marriage, school costs, and poor infrastructure contributing to high dropout rates. These issues directly align with Buendedi’s mission—offering scholarships, improving facilities, and empowering youth to stay in school and lead change in their communities.
This matters not only locally, where lack of education limits health, income, and opportunity, but globally as well. Education in the DRC is key to unlocking talent that could contribute to economic growth, gender equity, and global stability. Buendedi addresses this opportunity at the root, investing in youth who can break cycles of poverty and become future educators, leaders, and innovators—building a stronger Congo and a more equitable world.
