Happy New Year everyone! Bonne année et meilleurs vœux à vous tous.

I know it’s been a while since I’ve written. I can give you soooo many reasons why I haven’t, but the real answer is that I’ve been overwhelmed and exhausted. I have traveled so much in 2023 and have taken on many hard and challenging projects.

I want to thank you all for your continued support. Running a business where things are made away from me is not easy. I am incredibly proud of our Kongo with Love collection. Our customers, press, and industry experts have received our luxury malachite collection well. Launching this collection was really a gamble. We weren’t sure if people were willing to wait for their special pieces to be made, and I am so happy with the response.

We’ve scaled down our product offerings. It was just too difficult at the time to get the quality control to our comfort level. This will allow us to continue to improve and make the items we currently offer even better. Personally, I get overwhelmed when I have too many options. We want to be mindful of each item's story, its environmental impact, and its benefit to our artisans.

2023 saw me return to my ancestral village of Tshibata for the first time in April and then again in December. I’ve been told so many stories about returning to the village, and many people kept counseling me to stay in the city. Yes, the conditions are shocking, especially for someone living in Manhattan. Yes, the poverty level and lack of funds and basic infrastructure are saddening and disheartening. But there are also amazing people, love, and goodwill. I always said that I am happiest when I’m home in Congo. Now, I say I am my true self and feel rooted in the land of my ancestors. There are no words to describe that feeling.

Since returning, I’ve been working on creating a nonprofit board for my foundation in the United States. Our first major project is to build a health center in Tshibata. It will provide crucial medical care for Tshibata and the surrounding villages. Currently, the villagers have to walk for hours for basic care. This project will greatly improve the quality of life of people who have been forgotten for far too long. I will work on keeping you all updated.

In this ever-changing and complicated world, I am grateful for you all. I am grateful for your support, encouragement, ideas, and prayers. I hope 2024 brings you lots of joy, happiness, good health and that we can all find peace in this world. I pray that we focus more on what we have in common, celebrate our differences, share our stories, and bring each of us closer to each other. When things get tough, think of those with nothing and find ways to help them. That is what brings true happiness and meaning.

I wish you all a Happy New Year!

With Love,

Adolophine

P.S. I will work on putting together all the videos of my trips back to the village for the series.