Photo by Darryl Cobb Jr.
“Work towards a sustainable future.”
Each month we highlight a community program that aligns with the values of SoulVision Magazine. We believe engaging with one’s community is critical to fostering positive change in the world.
Entrepreneur and model Kathare Mundit was born and raised in Ethiopia of South Sudanese parents. Her family arrived in the U.S. as refugees in 1998. “As a result of this beginning, I see the world through a different lens than most. I have learned to be more compassionate, loving, hard-working, and most importantly, I exude gratitude,” she says. Her life experiences motivated her to begin taking the steps to create the African Benefit Society (ABS), an upcoming nonprofit organization.
Photo courtesy of Kathare Mundit
She remembers 1990 like it was yesterday. She was seven years old when her family had to walk 30 days to escape the violence and bloodshed of the Eritrean-Ethiopian War. “During this forced march, it was raining much of the time, and we had to cross swollen rivers teeming with hungry crocodiles,” she recalls. “The most terrifying thing I saw as a child was dead bodies everywhere.” Her mother was eight months pregnant with her sister Parman. Reflecting on her family’s journey, Kathare is upset that she couldn’t do more to help her mother.
Her brother is the main inspiration for ABS. He passed away on September 8, 2021, from alcohol addiction. He was just 44 years old. “Substance abuse is rampant and endemic within the black community, and ABS has a strategy to address this scourge,” she says. “We will offer traditional African therapies for poly-addictive disorders and mental health issues.”
Photo by Tobi Odukoya
One of ABS’s biggest goals is to bring low-cost electrical energy to villages. “Having reliable, sustainable, and affordable energy is the portal that opens other doors of opportunity,” Kathare says. “Without electricity, we cannot address the critical issues of digital inequality and educational insecurity.” Low-cost electricity will open doors and help to address many issues like access to clean water, better health and hygiene, education, and creating green and sustainable environments. Kathare says she will utilize cutting-edge technology like 3D printing to construct low-cost living/work housing in economic development zones to incubate new businesses. “ABS is ready to hit the ground running with turn-key solutions to solve most energy issues.”
To learn more about Kathare Mundit and ABS, follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
