Our History

Founders

Diverse group of people sitting outside with hills in the background.
Elderly man wearing glasses, a plaid shirt, and a beige tie in a corridor

Timeline and Milestones

2003-2006

DRC Research and Field Assessments

Street market scene with people walking, street vendors, and motorcycles under trees.

2006

Giving Back to Africa Scholars Program at the Protestant University of Congo

Statue holding a scroll and bird at Faculté de Théologie Protestante, surrounded by trees.

2010

Pilot Assessment, Focus Groups, Interviews

Four people meeting at a table, with documents and notebooks, in a room with striped chairs and red curtains.

2010

Org name changed to Giving Back to Africa

Logo with the text 'Giving Back to Africa' inside an orange circle.

2011

Dr. Jerry Kindomba joins Giving Back to Africa as the DRC Country Director

Two people standing in front of plants, one wearing a black shirt and floral skirt, the other in a white shirt and jeans.

2011

College des Savoirs Partnership

Outdoor classroom with children in uniform sitting at desks, tropical trees and building in background.

2012

First Annual Gala, Bloomington, Indiana, USA

"Giving Back to Africa" logo with outline of Africa, stars, and text: "Annual Gala, Team GBA."

2014

2014 video representing Giving Back to Africa’s work in DRC

2015

Student Learning Garden with Sustainability Curriculum

Community garden with various plants and netted fencing

2019

Sarah Castor-Johnson joins Giving Back to Africa as the U.S. Country Director

A group of schoolchildren and adults walking outdoors near a tree, with a telecommunications tower in the background.

2020

Org name changed to Malembe Rise

Logo with colorful text "MALEMBE RISE" and the slogan "Achieving Equity Through Education" below.

2021

Club of Leaders launched at College des Savoirs and Hebrone Partner School Trust Building

Group of students in white shirts gathered outside a shop, some facing an adult wearing a blue shirt.

2022

Club of Leaders launched at Hebrone school.

A student standing and speaking in front of a crowded classroom, filled with children sitting closely together on wooden benches.

2023

The Club of Leaders develop their own logo based on the Baobab tree.

Street art of a large tree with green leaves and a brown trunk, enclosed in a red circle. The words 'Club des Leaders' are written at the top in red, and 'Hebdome' at the bottom. There is a small white graffiti message on the tree's leaves and some handwritten text in the bottom right corner.

2024

UNICEF joins the Club of Leaders in the Hebrone community to build a solar panel-powered well with cistern and modern toilet facilites with fresh drinkable water pumped from the well.

A young boy in a school uniform washing his hands with water at an outdoor handwashing station, with several students observing.
A group of children and adults gathered around a water tower with solar panels on top in an outdoor area, with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.

2025

Tracey Danner-Odenwelder joins Malembe Rise as the U.S. Country Director

A woman with shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair, wearing glasses, a black blazer, and a white top with layered necklaces, smiling at the camera.