Zambia Programs & Services
Like our Wisconsin-based projects, SEPO’s work in western Zambia is centered on the pillars of sustainability, education, and progress as one.
In western Zambia, SEPO’s work is centered in the Mabumbu area, where Mushe Subulwa (co-founder and director of SEPO) was born and raised. The spirit of the people in Mabumbu embraces the southern African concept of ubuntu (which loosely translates to: I am because we are) and relies on amplifying our interconnectedness and relationships with one another.
The community is fueled by a recognition of their interdependence, reciprocity, and shared futures – however, they are limited by their lack of access to resources, an inefficient/unconcerned government, and long-standing patterns of global inequity.
Education Support
SEPO understands education to be one of the best pathways to community-defined progress and improved futures for all. In Zambia, our focus on education is critical as nearly 50% of the population is under the age of 15 (as compared to 19% in the US).
SEPO partners with Kalangu School in the Mabumbu area outside of Mongu to expand the educational opportunities and experiences of the nearly 500 students that attend Kalangu. SEPO is deeply connected and committed to Kalangu as our co-founder, Mushe, attended Kalangu himself as a kid.
SEPO facilitated the establishment of a partner-school relationship between Emmeline Cook Elementary School in Oshkosh and Kalangu School in Mabumbu. That partnership resulted in the completion of an additional classroom at Kalangu in 2021 (pictured below).
SEPO Queens Soccer Team
In 2021, SEPO hosted a three-day soccer clinic for girls in the Mabumbu area, with support from Majidah Nantanda from Growing the Game for Girls in Uganda to train and mentor the participants. Majidah is a renowned Confederation of African Football (CAF) coach, former Ugandan Women’s National Team coach, former Ugandan National Team player, and US Department of State Global Sports Mentoring Mentor. Over 70 girls participated in the activities in 2021.
Building on this success, SEPO spent the bulk of our energy in 2022 supporting those girls and building a team from those that were most motivated. The team engaged in numerous friendly games in 2022 throughout Mongu district. SEPO Zambia supported their efforts, funded their transportation and other logistics, and sought potential partners for the future. We were able to do this critical work through our partnership with Oshkosh United who generously provided jerseys and other supplies to help develop the game for girls in western Zambia.
Building on this success, SEPO spent the bulk of our energy in 2022 supporting those girls and building a team from those that were most motivated. The team engaged in numerous friendly games in 2022 throughout Mongu district. SEPO Zambia supported their efforts, funded their transportation and other logistics, and sought potential partners for the future. In 2023, the team became an official team in the Football Association of Zambia Western Province Women, League Z – competing as the SEPO Queens!
Water Access
SEPO approaches our work on water projects from the perspective that access to clean water is a basic human right.
Every day the people of Mabumbu – particularly women and girls – walk several miles in order to collect water for their families and communities. This represents time (3+ hours), energy, and labor that is diverted from school, work, family, or community projects. Currently, there are only two open-access, clean water pumps in Mabumbu (at the clinic and at Kalangu School).
While SEPO has contributed to the repair and maintenance of the existing pumps, we are actively seeking funding to drill additional access points in the area.
Increasing access to clean water in Mabumbu not only reduces disease and health risks, but also frees up the time, energy, and labor of women and girls to pursue (and achieve) their educational, entrepreneurial, and community goals.
Health Care Access
The single clinic serving the area (Mabumbu clinic) is under-resourced, under-staffed, and under-pressure. SEPO provides basic medical supplies (thermometers, blood pressure machines, blood-sugar monitors, etc) as possible.
While SEPO works with our Zambian partners on a variety of general health-related matters at Mabumbu clinic, we are particularly focused on maternal and child health challenges. Maternal mortality rates in Zambia are 398 per 100,000 women (as compared to 28 in the U.S.). Additionally, child mortality rates are 65 per 1,000 (as compared to 6 in the U.S.). SEPO works in close communication with area women’s groups to identify and address issues affecting new mothers and the youth.
Infrastructure Investments
SEPO works with our community partners to identify families in the region struggling with housing insecurity. We focus much of our housing efforts on those with immediate/emergency needs (fire, etc) and the elderly in the community who often find themselves unable to keep up their current structures and/or without relatives/familial support to build new homes. SEPO hires local builders and artisans to construct simple, secure housing for those in need. Housing needs are a consistent component of SEPO’s work and any support would be welcome.
SEPO is fully committed to supporting and supplying renewal energy solutions in the Mabumbu area – specifically, solar and wind. Our electrical installations (mostly solar) target homes with school-aged children in order to provide students a consistent source of light to study.
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