Jocelyne Mpila, surrounded by a group of children under the age of three, uses engaging activities to facilitate their acquisition of new vocabulary. She encourages participation with a positive demeanor, enforces discipline discreetly, and offers reassurance to the more reserved children through supportive gestures. “I chose this job wholeheartedly,” she notes. “Working with children is truly my vocation.” The 34-year-old ensures that each interaction promotes learning through play, that children are cared for in support of their parents’ work commitments, and that they develop within a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment.
Until recently, Jocelyne was one among the 800,000 individuals registered in the Unique Social Registry (RSU) – an instrument implemented by the Congolese government with World Bank support to identify and assist vulnerable populations. Originating from a modest family, she had been unable to pursue her studies beyond the baccalaureate level and sustained herself through a small business within her local community.
Currently, Jocelyne Mpila serves as a “Mama Mobokoli” a Lingala term meaning a mother who provides care for children in a community crèche established in Brazzaville by the Social Protection and Productive Inclusion of Youth (PSIPJ) project. She is recognized as a “Mamapreneur”, a trained and qualified childcare entrepreneur. Nevertheless, her professional journey has involved quite some challenges.
Between passion and determination
In 2020, in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic lockdown, Jocelyne Mpila was registered as a vulnerable person in the RSU by the Lisungi project, a social safety net system. In 2024, she was contacted by the PSIPJ team which succeeded Lisungi. Following several interviews with the project team, she was selected for a three-month training as part of a community crèche development project modeled after the Kidogo initiative in Kenya. Implemented in partnership with the NGO MEDRAC Africa, the project aims to train around twenty Mamapreneurs and support their integration into professional roles within crèches that provide affordable, quality childcare services.
The comprehensive training program addresses key aspects of early childhood education, including play-based learning, business management, first aid, fire safety, and child protection. Jocelyne Mpila commenced her training when she was seven months pregnant with her second child.
“I was often tired and unwell, sometimes taking three buses to get to the training site.”
Still, she persisted, confident the training would benefit her. The PSIPJ assisted with bi-monthly conditional cash transfers of 40,000 CFA francs (approx. $71.5) for transport and food.
A challenging childbirth required Jocelyne Mpila to temporarily pause her training. Nevertheless, her commitment remained steadfast, and she promptly resumed her studies—accompanied by her child—by completing a one-month practical internship at a public crèche managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Humanitarian Action. As a result, she earned her certificate of aptitude, officially validated by the General Directorate of Qualifying Training and Employment.
A total of sixteen Mama Mobokoli students were trained in the first cohort of the project. Five of them are currently working with Jocelyne Mpila at the Soukissa market nursery, the very first one which opened in Brazzaville in July 2025. An additional six students have been assigned to the second crèche, which was inaugurated in October at the Total market in Bacongo, one of the city's largest markets located in the capital's second district.
Success has been immediate, supported by the pleasant environment and affordable rates—12,500 CFA francs, approximately $22 per month per child. The quality of the Mama Mobokoli's welcome and supervision has attracted an increasing number of clients, including vendors and members of the surrounding community. Within weeks, demand for enrollment significantly exceeded expectations: by mid-October 2025, the nursery at Soukissa market had registered 39 children out of a projected maximum of 36, while the Total market facility had 65, surpassing its target capacity of 60. “There is clearly a substantial need,” noted Barth Oko, project manager at MEDRAC Africa. “We continue to identify potential sites for new nurseries, not only in Brazzaville but also in Pointe-Noire.”
The Mama Mobokoli initiative clearly demonstrates significant potential for future growth. Jocelyne Mpila is confident in this vision and has already begun planning the expansion of the nursery at the Soukissa market. In the long term, she aims to establish and manage her own facility. Reflecting on her aspirations, she states: “I am ambitious and confident that I will achieve great success.”
