There's nothing like the joy of children playing games. Fun and camaraderie are universal needs! The video above is of a game of le Mboko at the Kimbilio's girls' transit home. As you can see, it is a local version of hopscotch. It is the favorite game of the girls residing at Kimbilio. Le Kangé, also known as Zango, is very special. It started as a traditional children's game, and has developed into an official national sport for women in the DR Congo.  Zango means foot

On June 30, 1960, the DR Congo achieved independence from Belgium. The path forward has been tumultuous. Right after independence, the first Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, was assassinated. In 1965, Mobutu Sese Selo seized power in a coup that turned into a dreadful 30 year dictatorship. In the late 1990s, a brutal civil war began. While it officially ended in 2003, achievement of lasting peace and stability remains evasive. This past week, while celebrating 65 years s

At Kimbilio's five facilities, nourishment of children is a crucial aspect of care and community. The main meal at all locations centers on fufu, known locally as bukari. Bukari is made from maize meal (corn flour), which is added to boiling water and stirred constantly to get to a thick, smooth consistency that is stretchier and somewhat firmer than mashed potatoes. It is usually accompanied by chicken or by Thompson fish, which is a type of mackerel. Once per week, rice

Access to clean, safe water is challenging across the DR Congo. Lubumbashi is no exception. The city faces a water shortage, with infrastructure deficiencies, climate change and rapid urbanization as contributing factors. Less than one-half of the population has access to water. In 2022, a young resident of the Kalubwe District of Lubumbashi described the difficult water situation where he lives in this short but compelling video. Kalubwe is about 9 kilometers from the Ki

The DR Congo is in the top 10 of the least electrified countries in the world. According to the World Bank, less than 17% of households have access to any electricity at all. Some estimates put the figure at less than 10%. The country's population has gone from 15+ million in the 1960's, to a current estimate of 102+ million, with concurrent worsening of the gap between supply and demand. The potential in hydropower and solar resources is there; the federal infrastructure

Field trips give the children of Kimbilio the opportunity to converse, relax and explore. Last week, boys and girls living at Kimbilio's...

#InternationalWomensDay in the DR Congo is widely celebrated with women's conferences, outings and shared meals. Casual clothes give way to absolutely stunning African attire. At Kimbilio each year, the women and girls rejoice in the day with a special outing to a pizza restaurant. For the girls, it is often the only restaurant visit of the year, and for Kimbilio newcomers, it is often their first restaurant visit ever. It's a great opportunity to dress up, feel good, meet

In celebration of International Women’s Day 2024, Kimbilio’s girls (former street children) and women team members enjoyed a rare trip to a pizza restaurant in Lubumbashi city centre. Many of these girls will never have eaten in a restaurant before making it a very special treat. We hope that it demonstrated to them how much they are valued and respected, something else that they have not experienced before. Often one of the drivers for children ending up on the streets is do