Meeting the clean water challenge

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 Kipanta District where most of Kimbilio's operations are based. (Source: Comundos)

There's no "city water" available to Kimbilio. Kimbilio has to rely on spring water, well water and borehole water across its operations in Kipanta. During the dry season, though, there are always serious problems with well and spring water. For this reason, the Kimbilio team has resolved to go with borehole water -- the downside of which is reliance on a generator.

In the photo on the left, one of the boys from Kimbilio's Maison Janet Bokwa is retrieving water from a borehole. The photo on the right shows the cistern where Kimbilio stores water.

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