How Northeast Iowa helped people in the Republic of Congo

Luther College graduate Chingwell Mutombu returned to Decorah Wednesday to speak at the Decorah Methodist Church about her program, "First Step Initiative."

The program makes small loans--in $100 or $150 amounts--to help women in the Republic of Congo start and build businesses.  Nearly 1,000 such loans have been made so far.

Mutombu says the recipients often are women with families.  That means when the businesses succeed, entire families benefit.  "The biggest impact of what we do is on the children," Mutombu told the church group.  She says when women become financially successful, they have money to spend on food for their children and for school tuition.  In the Lubumbashi area where the program is in operation, there's been a decrease in malnutrition, as well as a decline in school dropouts.

Chingwell told the group "I stand here today because of the opportunity that was given to my parents."  Her family moved to Fayette, Iowa from the Republic of Congo so that her parents could attend college.  Even though she later returned to the Congo, a Fayette church member set up a scholarship trust fund so that Mutombu could return to the United States for college--at Luther.

The First Step Initiative takes donations and grants from the United States to help support the loan program in the Congo.  Mutombu says 75 percent of the funds go towards the loans and she's aiming to eventually have 80 percent of the group's income get loaned out.  The program requires three people to co-sign each loan--a provision that has helped keep default rates to 4 percent.