In 2008, an armed conflict in an eastern province of the DRC caused what the United Nations described as a “humanitarian crisis of catastrophic dimensions.” The conflict displaced more than 2 million people, children were suddenly orphaned, young girls and women were savagely raped and people were starving. It was against this backdrop that DRC native and women’s rights attorney, Gorethy Nabushosi, found her homeland when she returned after gaining asylum and living in the United States. Mama Gorethy, as she’s affectionately known locally, saw the need was too great to ignore — and Congo Restoration was born. More than a decade later, the country is still healing, and opportunities are minimal for young people. Education is the key to changing that. More recently, the situation has been complicated by inflation, first driven by the pandemic and now by rising prices of the war in Ukraine. School is not mandatory or free, so Congo Restoration provides a vital service to women and children who need a lift up with education.