From vision to legacy.

A vision becomes a mission

Long before the word legacy became associated with his name, Dikembe Mutombo was already building one. In 1997 he established the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve health, education and quality of life for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Growing up in Kinshasa, he saw what limited access to healthcare and opportunity costs a family. He came to the United States intending to study medicine. Basketball changed the course of his life, but not his purpose. He used the platform, relationships and resources the game gave him to serve others, above all the people of his native Congo.

Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital

On July 17, 2007, the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital opened in Kinshasa. Named for Dikembe's beloved mother, it turned a personal dream into a permanent institution of healing.

The work also reached beyond the hospital walls: disease prevention, vaccination, medical partnerships, education and professional training. The vision was never only about treating illness. It was about prevention, access and stronger communities.

Women's health and cancer care

The hospital began screening women for cervical cancer in 2016, and opened its Breast Clinic in 2017 with the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation and Friends of Africa. Thousands of women, mothers and daughters gained access to screening, treatment and hope.

Investing in the next generation

In the fall of 2021, the Samuel Mutombo Institute opened in Tshibombo, near Mbuji-Mayi. Named for Dikembe's father, an educator, it served 480 children free of charge and became one of Dikembe's most important later-life projects.

An unexpected interruption

In October 2022, Dikembe was diagnosed with brain cancer. As his health and treatment became the family's priority, he could no longer lead the fundraising he had always carried himself, and the Samuel Mutombo Institute was eventually forced to suspend operations.

A life ends. The mission does not.

When Dikembe passed away on September 30, 2024, our family lost a husband, a father and our earthly protector. The world lost an extraordinary humanitarian. But the work did not end.

The Dikembe Mutombo Legacy Foundation

Rose Nseya Mutombo now leads this next chapter as Founder and President, alongside Carrie Biamba Mutombo, Jean-Jacques Dikembe Mutombo Jr. and Ryan Katamba Mutombo. DMLF does not begin a new story disconnected from the past. It builds on the humanitarian work Dikembe began and the institutions, partnerships and opportunities created through decades of service.