The economic situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo is challenging the future of the Foundation for the Pediatric Hospital of Kimbondo (FPK). On the 22^nd of last May the congolese government passed a law on minimum wages (SMIG), which progressively lead by June 2019 to quadruple the cost of FPK staff. This is an unexpected fix expense that will heavily weigh on us.

Until a few years ago, such an increase of the salaries would have had no chance of being supported. Today, thanks to all the work done for the auto-sustainability of the Hospital, we are hoping to be able to cover the new rates for the salaries. This means though, that all the works in progress to increase revenues (like for example the income from Kinta, the co-payments requested for office visits for outpatients, the dental clinic services, the revenues from Matchuko and Okapi, the more complete and higher quality health services and the contribution from the State) and at the same time the reduction of costs (like the use of a photovoltaic system, the new logistic arrangement, the rationalization of  the staff and the funding on projects that include operating costs), that in our long term strategic plan would have served to gradually reduce the dependence of the Hospital from donations, will now serve to contribute to the hope of overcoming this challenging step.

At this point it is necessary to follow all our projects with a further and joint effort by all the supporters of Kimbondo. We not only have to find the founds to guarantee the coverage of operating costs to start a project, but also to sustain the project over the time and guarantee any possible interventions that it might require over the years.

The projects considered strategic for achieving this goal are:

1- Increase the production of Kinta (agricultural pole) through the setting up of an irrigation system. 

2- Improve the quality and amplitude of the health services offered so that, even still embracing the mission of offering free care to however is in need, the Hospital could become more and more a destination for patients able to pay at least the co-payment.

We need everyone’s help: volunteers, friends and donors to increase the networks of Kimbondo and hopefully to increase the support and help for our children.

We need the memorials of the volunteers who have lent their service to Kimbondo over the years to describe, share and disseminate the continuous and perseverating improvements in all aspects ranging from management to transparency, from assistance and care to children and to the quality of life in particular for the younger and disabled little guests.

This heritage of services, facilities and training of our local staff cannot and should not be lost.

It is essential to assure a continuity to what has been achieved so far, without losing sight of auto-sustainability and self-development targets we established for Kimbondo.