ASQ and Mutual of America Foundation Collaborate on Books Donation

Milwaukee, November 2008 —  Paul Jones Mubanga, founder and CEO of the Foundation for African Non-Governmental Organizations Management, had just placed his signature on a letter to ASQ on October 16 when a delivery service van pulled up to his offices in Lusaka, Zambia.  The driver unloaded six boxes containing an unexpected gift—159 books on quality and management for the foundation’s library.

The delivery marks the second chapter in a story that began last year when ASQ sent 60 books to start a quality management library for the young foundation.  This time, ASQ was able to secure the generous support of the Mutual of America Foundation of New York City, which donated funds to defray costs of shipping the additional ASQ books to Zambia.

“All of us are quite happy and thrilled with the help you rendered to us by sending these very useful books,” Mubanga said. 

In his letter to ASQ, Mubanga reported that the books were already having an impact. 

“Because your books have made our work easier in the communities where we operate, we are now seeing some improvements in the standards of living of our poor African people, improvements in human rights, democracy, much more freedoms and justice, improved sustainable agriculture and food security,” he said.

The books are intended to increase the management competence of the leaders of African social-sector organizations, whom Mr. Mubanga describes as “the solution providers to the problems that hinder our poor people’s progress towards uplifting their quality of life in both urban and rural neglected communities.”

For ASQ, the donation represents an opportunity to collaborate with other organizations to spread quality knowledge while fulfilling an obligation to behave as a socially responsible organization.