Year-End Drive Brings Hope to Loandjili
A pre-Christmas garage sale held at AGL offices in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire turned unused office chairs, children’s books, and surplus spare parts into a convoy of gifts for the Sainte-Catherine orphanage in Loandjili.
The four-day event, which concluded on December 23, 2026, gathered toys, staple foods, clothing, shoes, and hygiene items. Organizers report that over three cubic meters of donations filled trucks bound for the orphanage.
Africa Global Logistics, formerly Bolloré Africa Logistics, coordinated the campaign through its Congolese subsidiaries Congo Terminal, Saga Congo, and Terminal Bois et Céréales. These companies manage the deep-water port, logistics warehouses, and grain silos that anchor Pointe-Noire’s economy.
Team Spirit Across Ports, Garages, and Offices
From crane drivers in the container yard to accountants in city towers, employees sorted through their closets, labeled items, and staffed stalls during lunch breaks. Internal emails, WhatsApp groups, and a QR-coded poster boosted participation across twenty-seven worksites nationwide.
The Quality, Compliance, and CSR Manager stated that this initiative blended operational discipline with empathy. “Our values – solidarity, passion, excellence, and entrepreneurship – come alive through concrete actions,” she said, minutes after auditing the final inventory.
Workers also contributed through transport, loading, and statistical tracking services, reflecting their daily trades. Forklift operators volunteered overtime, while mechanics refurbished second-hand bicycles before delivery, offering the children a rare chance to ride within the orphanage grounds.
Prior to the sale, AGL’s communications division created a digital catalog to enable staff at inland offices to bid remotely. Items ranged from vintage record players to caps featuring the company logo, and electronic payments via a local fintech simplified accounting.
Tangible and Emotional Support for the Orphanage
Founded in 2019, Sainte-Catherine houses forty children aged eighteen months to fifteen years, evenly split between girls and boys. The center is located near Loandjili’s oil services corridor but remains tucked behind mango trees and corrugated tin fences that shield many vulnerable minors from public view.
The orphanage’s founder described the arrival of the AGL trucks as “a breath of hope.” She added, “Beyond the material aid, this visit tells the children they matter to society.” Several youths improvised a choir, singing a “Congolese Christmas” while unloading cartons of rice.
The staff plans to allocate part of the donations to school fees and medical check-ups in January, a period when pneumonia and malaria cases traditionally rise. They note that AGL’s food parcels will free up budget lines for textbooks and mosquito nets.
CSR as a Competitive Advantage for Logistics Operators
Under Congolese law, large companies must allocate at least one percent of their revenue to social projects. Although the rule is rarely enforced, firms in strategic sectors like ports and mining increasingly view CSR as crucial for securing community acceptance and contract renewals.
AGL’s initiative follows similar campaigns by TotalEnergies, MTN, and the national mining company, which this year provided boreholes and solar lamps to villages along new pipelines. Analysts interpret this trend as a signal that Congolese consumers now reward ethical branding.
An economist notes that ports handle ninety percent of Congo’s trade volume. “If a terminal operator invests in children as well as cranes, regulators see them as a long-term partner,” she said, arguing that more qualitative criteria influence concession negotiations.
The Ministry of Social Affairs has drafted guidelines encouraging companies to align their philanthropy with the Sustainable Development Goals. Officials welcome private contributions, noting fiscal pressures after successive oil price shocks. Public-private solidarity, they argue, distributes resources without straining the state budget.
Holiday Calendar Amplifies Social Impact
The December calendar amplifies charitable gestures in a nation where nearly half the population is under eighteen. Officials from the Ministry of Culture state that public expectations for corporate giving soar during Christmas and the Feast of the Nativity, rooted in extended family sharing traditions.
By choosing a garage sale format, AGL also addressed the issue of urban waste. Second-hand markets, popular in Ouesso and Oyo, divert tons of clothing from landfills each year. The company partnered with a Pointe-Noire recycler to manage unsold items, thereby limiting its environmental footprint.
Civil society voices are also monitoring follow-up. An NGO representative states that regular visits count as much as media-covered donations. “Children remember faces more than logos,” she remarks, urging companies to adopt multi-year mentorship programs alongside material support.
Outlook for 2027 Partnerships
The CSR Manager hinted that next year’s program may shift toward digital literacy. Discussions are underway with the Ministry of Primary Education to equip tablets in peri-urban school classrooms, echoing the government’s 2025-2029 National Development Plan.
For the children of Sainte-Catherine, however, the immediate horizon is simpler: new outfits for Christmas Mass and the promise of three balanced meals a day until the new school term begins. Sometimes, development starts with a well-stocked box and a shared future.
As dusk fell over Loandjili, port workers shared cassava fritters with the children, bringing two worlds closer around a picnic table. In an export-driven economy, the evening offered an inward investment of a different kind – measured in laughs per minute.