The executive director and founder of First Step Initiative, Chingwel Mutombu, has been named the recipient of the Luther College Young Alumni Award for 2013.
The Young Alumni Award recognizes Luther alumni who have graduated in the past 15 years and rendered notable service to their profession and society in their vocation or avocation. Award recipients have demonstrated significant professional achievement, leadership abilities and distinctive service to Luther or society. Their record of commitment, leadership, character and ethic exemplify the college mission.
The award will be presented to Mutombu at the college's Commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 19th.
A native of Congo, Mutombu graduated from Luther in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in French and political science. In 2006 she started the First Step Initiative, a nonprofit organization which helps women in the Congo build small businesses as a way to sustain them and become economically independent.
After getting assistance from the organization, many women have begun their own businesses. About a third are food vendors who sell in the markets; a third work in clothing manufacturing, where everything else is made from scratch and another third work with livestock.
To learn more about the First Step initiative, visit www.firststepinitiative.net.