The Fally Ipupa Foundation (

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

: ''Fondation Fally Ipupa''; FFI) is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

established in 2013 by Congolese singer-songwriter

Fally Ipupa Fally Ipupa N'simba (born 14 December 1977), known professionally as Fally Ipupa, is a Congolese musician and dancer. Often referred to as the "Prince of Rumba", he is known for his tenor vocals and his fusion of contemporary and traditional ...

. It aims to provide assistance to various

marginalized groups Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. In the EU context, the Euro ...

in need in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

(DRC), including victims of

sexual violence Sexual violence is any harmful or unwanted Human sexual activity, sexual act, an attempt to obtain a sexual act through violence or coercion, or an act directed against a person's sexuality without their consent, by any individual regardless of ...

diseases A disease is a particular abnormal condition that adversely affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism and is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that are asso ...

, as well as

orphans An orphan is a child whose parents have died, are unknown, or have permanently abandoned them. It can also refer to a child who has lost only one parent, as the Hebrew translation, for example, is "fatherless". In some languages, such as Swedis ...

History and activities

Fally Ipupa founded the Fally Ipupa Foundation in June 2013, shortly after rehabilitating his former school, St. Jean-Baptiste in Kinshasa, and providing it with 100 equipped desks. Following its establishment, he then announced to

Radio Okapi Radio Okapi is a radio network that operates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On an annual budget of USD$4.5 million, a staff of 200 provide news and information to the entire urban population of the DRC. Radio Okapi provides programming ...

his strategy to procure funds for the foundation through concerts and other socio-cultural events.

Early and later initiatives

On 14 October 2014, the FFI dispatched a medical ambulance to the General Hospital of Goma. The foundation also distributed clothes and shoes to the victims embroiled in the Kivu conflicts in

Goma Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the North Kivu, North Kivu Province; it is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and shares borders with the Bukumu Chiefdo ...

. In October 2016, the Fally Ipupa Foundation launched the "Mayi Na Kisenso" initiative (denoting water for all) in Kinshasa to supply

drinking water Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...

to the urban-rural commune of

Kisenso Kisenso () is a municipality ('' commune'') in the Mont Amba district of Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply t ...

. The project began on 6 October, with the planning of the roads and land where the water supply point was erected. In June 2018, during the resurgence of the Ebola epidemic in the eastern region of the DRC, the FFI launched a

fundraising campaign Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...

and partnered with the humanitarian response led by the Congolese government and its health partners to help those in need.

Community support during crisis

During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the Fally Ipupa Foundation launched a fundraising campaign to help vulnerable and destitute people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Within a few days of its launch, the campaign collected over $10,000 in cash and tons of in-kind donations. The FFI also received a generous donation of 1,000 bags of rice. After the final collection, the FFI entrusted the Catholic Church with distributing all the donations collected, mainly through orphanages, homes for older adults, and other places. On 18 June 2020, the Fally Ipupa Foundation presented a check for

€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...

20,000 and 2,500 anti-COVID masks to the Panzi Foundation of Congolese gynecologist

Denis Mukwege Denis Mukwege (; born 1 March 1955) is a Congolese humanitarian, gynecologist and Pentecostal pastor. He founded and works in Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, where he specializes in the treatment of women who have been raped by armed rebels. In 2018 ...

through its clinic in Kinshasa.

Maternal healthcare support

On 17 May 2021, the FFI visited women giving birth at the Maternité de Kintambo hospital building located in Kinshasa's Kintambo commune and the CBCO (''Communauté Baptiste Du Congo'') hospital in the Bandalungwa commune. Due to the financial crisis that had prevented some births for several months, the Fally Ipupa Foundation paid the bills for around thirty mothers.

Military assistance

On 13 June 2022, the Fally Ipupa Foundation provided assistance to the

Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo Armed (May, 1941–1964) was an American Thoroughbred gelding race horse who was the American Horse of the Year in 1947 and Champion Older Male Horse in both 1946 and 1947. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in ...

(FARDC), who are currently engaged in combat against the Rwandan-backed rebel military group M23. The FFI brought food and non-food items, including rice,

canned goods Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container ( jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although unde ...

, and

bottled water Bottled water is drinking water (e.g., Water well, well water, distilled water, Reverse osmosis, reverse osmosis water, mineral water, or Spring (hydrology), spring water) packaged in Plastic bottle, plastic or Glass bottle, glass water bott ...

, to support the FARDC's efforts.

Humanitarian aid and school development

In August 2024, Fally Ipupa visited a refugee camp situated 30 km from Goma, sheltering people who had escaped the ongoing Rwandan-backed M23 assault in North Kivu. The foundation donated essentials including food, clothing, school supplies, and other necessary products, and oversaw the development of a school for the region's victims, with plans to name it after Y'a Nenet Anangi in honor of his friendship.

References

{{reflist Orphanages in Africa Non-profit organizations based in Africa Organizations established in 2013 Organisations based in Kinshasa Political organisations based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo