Born from a single question: "Why should a child die of thirst?"
Our founder grew up in Kikwit (Kwilu Province, DRC), where running water was often cut for weeks. That meant walking to the Kwilu River — unclean water, a dangerous river, a steep exhausting hill. Tragically, a few schoolmates drowned over the years — rare, but unforgettable. A promise was made: to get involved in clean water one day. This organization is that promise kept.
In the peri-urban neighborhoods of Kinshasa and across rural Congo, millions of children begin each day with a walk — not to school, but to fetch water from contaminated streams. Water that makes them sick. Water that robs them of their childhood.
A Cup of Water for an Unknown Child was founded on a deeply simple belief: no child should suffer for something as basic as water. We are a small, grassroots nonprofit with no corporate overhead — just a committed team, local partners, and a drill.
We work directly in communities — assessing needs, collaborating with local leaders, and building wells that last. Every dollar we receive goes to the ground. Literally.
