En Classe is an educational foundation operating in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of the poorest countries in the world, where nearly 61 million people live on less than $1.90 a day. Twelve million children do not attend school and only a quarter of those who do ultimately complete secondary education.

When Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day started in the UK, the charity industry was a deep red ocean. Competition was intense and growing, costs were up, and donations were down. Yet Red Nose Day rapidly achieved 96% national brand awareness.

In June 1998, The Board of Directors of INSEAD, a leading international business school based in Fontainebleau (France) had to decide to proceed with an investment in a second campus in Singapore. Over the past 20 years INSEAD had established an international reputation and had developed some expertise on Asian business.