Asili reinvents humanitarian aid as startup capital for self-sustaining social enterprises operated by and for the people who need them. This partnership between USAID, IDEO.org, Eastern Congo Initiative, and Alight aims to address the lack of quality healthcare, the scarcity of clean drinking water, and the shortage of meaningful economic opportunities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through a radically new solution based on market principles. By creating marketplaces with clusters of businesses in one location, Asili not only generates demand for high-quality services, but also provides world-class, affordable supply in a scalable and self-sustaining manner. Asili has already sold over 50 million liters of water to more than 100,000 customers and performs over 10,000 health consultations per year.
Learn more about what makes Asili so innovative in the UVA Darden School of Business’s Ideas to Action article.