Innovation for Water in Kanyaruchinya | GoShop Energy
GoShop Energy and Mercy Corps are launching an innovative solar project to provide drinking water to the Kanyaruchinya displacement camp in the DRC. This sustainable model uses 75 Gosola panels to power a Grundfos pump, thereby reducing health risks and serving as a model of resilience for the camp’s residents.
50%
CO2 reduction
50%
energy saving
6.000
tons produced every year
In the heart of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, access to safe drinking water is a daily challenge for thousands of displaced people in the Kanyaruchinya camp. For these vulnerable communities, water is not merely a basic necessity for survival, but much more than that. As the saying goes: “Water is life.” In this particular context, water becomes a vital symbol, a determining factor for survival and hope.
Since the onset of armed conflict, which has destabilized the region and forced thousands of people to flee their homes, the residents of the Kanyaruchinya camp have often found themselves without essential resources. Deprived of their land and means of livelihood, the displaced people live in a precarious situation.
As Goma, the capital of North Kivu, struggles to survive, even access to basic necessities, such as drinking water, has become a rare luxury. Infrastructure is inadequate, and water distribution is irregular. Many rely on water sources that are often unsanitary, exposing the community to significant health risks.
Women and children, who are primarily responsible for collecting water, walk for miles every day, often under the scorching sun, to reach water sources. The long hours spent fetching water limit their ability to devote themselves to other important activities, such as education and earning a living.
This situation has drawn the attention of numerous private actors in the renewable energy and humanitarian sectors, notably GoShop Energy and Mercy Corps, and an innovative solution has been implemented to improve the daily lives of these displaced people. A project aimed at providing drinking water using solar technology has been launched. This project, launched on December 16, 2024, is part of a sustainable approach.
The initiative involves the installation of a solar field consisting of:
- 75 Gosola solar panels, each with a capacity of 580 kWp,
- a Grundfos pump with a flow rate of 30 m³/h,
- and a 37 kW RSI controller capable of powering a water pumping system from the Kanyaruchinya health zone to Kibati, which will supply water by gravity to the displaced people in Kanyaruchinya and those in Kibati and will be operational this year. This solution will provide drinking water to a much larger number of people, thereby reducing health risks.
A Model of Resilience for the Future
The initiative goes beyond solar technology alone. It represents a true model of resilience. Once this project is up and running, the displaced people of Kanyaruchinya will be able to gradually rebuild their lives in a clean and stable environment, while helping to protect the environment through the use of solar energy.
This project is being carried out in partnership with Mercy Corps and GoShop, which are joining forces to bring about meaningful change in the daily lives of vulnerable people. Thanks to this collaboration, a glimmer of hope is being rekindled.
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