TITLE:
The Rural Isolation Gap: Potential, Obstacles, and Prospects
AUTHORS:
Solange Kasiba Ngobobo, Espoir Bisimwa Basengere, Sadiki Byombuka, Jean-Berckmans Bahananga Muhigwa, Jacques Assani Mutumbwa, Isaac Wilondja Bubala, Didace Kyoto Kaningini, Bibish Wamtu Masoka
KEYWORDS:
Rural Development, Isolation, Living Conditions, Potentials, Obstacles, Prospects
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.13 No.11,
November
28,
2025
ABSTRACT: This study investigates the socio-economic conditions in the Wamuzimu chiefdom, Democratic Republic of Congo, a region rich in natural resources but characterized by extreme poverty and isolation. Using a mixed-methods approach of household surveys and focus group interviews, the research reveals a profound disconnect between the area’s potential and the precarious living conditions of its population. There are multiple indicators of underdevelopment: dilapidated infrastructure, widespread poverty, poor governance, social exclusion, and a lack of strategic planning. The findings attribute this gap to poor governance, unregulated resource extraction, and dilapidated infrastructure, concluding with a call for an integrated, participatory development strategy.