How it began . . .
Two of HandUp Congo's founders and sisters, Lucy Hobgood-Brown (l) and Anne Zolnor (r), share a long history in Congo. In 1912, their grandparents began their mission work in the remote village of Lotumbe in Congo where their father, Ben Hobgood (shown), was born. As an adult, Ben was one of the founders of the Université Protestante au Congo in Kinshasa and continued to serve as a missionary in Congo where both Lucy and Anne were raised.

It was during a 16-hour canoe trip to Lotumbe with founder, Betsy Brill, that these three women conceived HandUp Congo. Seeing the ravages of the recent civil war and political upheaval was their call to action.