Word from the founder

On the afternoon of Friday, August 12, 2011, in the lobby of the Ministry of Finance, while I had just spent 19 months at the head of that department, I organized an exchange meeting with the staff, and in my speech, I resumed the thought of the philosopher Gerard Papus, who said “it is only by acting in favor of others that we are acting in evolution mode, for enlightment; while in regard to its own benefit, we act involution mode, obscurity “. In fact, this interpellation to the public servants of the Ministry of Finance was a deep conviction of existential philosophy and ideal of public man that was always animated me and I wanted to share with them, to give meaning to the work that these men and women do every day for the benefit of our entire country.

Hazard does not exist, they say. This maxim, recently strengthened by the book of Bogdanov (La fin du hasard, published by Grasset in 2013), allows us to situate the birth and progress of the Mapon Foundation, which pursues a work to benefit others, to contribute to the development of the community, starting from the area who saw me starting my human destiny.

Born in Lumbu-Lumbu, poor neighborhood and device Kindu, capital of Maniema province, I have flung beside many facets of human denial, both in terms of social services and for prospects for any young. I will not forget the times when just seeing a car passing in the street drew a crowd of excited children running behind, just because we saw car in Lumbu-Lumbu so rarely. How many times have I not shocked to see pregnant women carry long distances to fetch a few gallons of drinking water? The show is long and symptomatic of a macrocosm marked by denial of the life’s basics: housing, education, health care, food, and so on.

Yet it is this same context of contrasts which laid the first steps of my intellectual, my moral and human education, to make me a public servant in the service of the Congolese nation, helping to give to my country place in the concert of nations.

With this course, I forged a central belief in my commitment to others, children, women, young, short to the human, to give them reasons to hope, open to them new horizons more promising. While Lumbu-Lumbu can generate a leader for the country is that there are still children who have all the necessary potential to take over this country to advance. We have just to give them the materials needed: education, health, to better prepare.

But Lumbu-Lumbu, in the symbolic meaning, has spread throughout the Republic.

As Managing Director of the Central Bureau of Coordination, BCECO, I had the privilege to travel around the country to oversee community development projects, social protection, health, education, rural roads, while funded by development partners and the Congolese government. The lesson of all my travels in all provinces of the country is a call to get involved in humans, if I want to fulfill my destiny.

The Mapon Foundation, operational response to this call is intended as a tool for building the human foundation that will drive the future of our country, my country. By providing the foundation for this building, the Mapon Foundation articulates its approach on philosophical convictions:

• Belief that we really have to put ourselves in service to others;
• Belief that the future of the country has to be prepared by offering equal opportunities to all children, regardless of social background;
• Belief that education and health are the key to generate men and women driven by noble feelings of patriotism and citizenship, and committed to move the country;
• Belief that spontaneous generation does not exist. And everything is prepared;
• Belief that the contribution of all is needed, based on solidarity to put us on a new, more human, essential path to a better future.

Combining vision, will and commitment, Mapon Foundation, carrier of this trilogy, which has set itself the motto “Giving is also offering quality” is a contribution to the noble mission of channeling latent talents hidden in our children, highlighting the best capabilities embedded in women, mobilize energies slumbering in all populations to create a critical mass committed to the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo. And it will do so with passion!

The Mapon Foundation opens its doors to all donors who want to support the actions already initiated.

This book, devoted to the activities of the Mapon Foundation, reported on efforts the past five years and social achievements aimed at improving human capital, particularly in Kindu in Maniema province.

Given the size of my country, and challenges, results accomplished to date by the Foundation Mapon remain minimal, the potential is so great. Also, this book is an invitation to all development actors, but also to youth, to accompany us to ensure continuity, to stimulate innovation and boost the transformation.

This, in view of development of our communities.

Matata Ponyo Mapon