Biographical note of Madeleine Vilain XIII, who initiated social work in the Congo through an association she created under the name of Volunteers of the Medical, Educational and Social Service. She founded and directed a "Foyer social" in Elisabethville and organized Congolese Guiding. Her career is put into context by addressing the Catholic world in the colonies, social work and its challenges of supervising African youth and women in large cities. The "Foyers sociaux" were indeed key elements of Belgium's "indigenous" policy in its colony. In addition, Madeleine Vilain XIIII was inspired by South Africa in her organization of a women's youth movement, separating European women from African women. Madeleine Vilain XIII was also active in the "Oeuvre pour la protection des mulâtres".