Hope Africa Brings Hope to People in Need

Rather than treating birthday celebrations as a once-off event, the programme is designed to provide monthly activities that give vulnerable children and families an opportunity to celebrate, receive donations and interact with people and organisations willing to support them.

The programme will initially run as a 12-month pilot, with plans to extend it to other parts of Zambia depending on its impact, partnerships and available resources.

Speaking at the launch, HOPE Africa USA Representative and Humanitarian Advocate in Zambia, Delphine Lengwe, who represented HOPE Africa USA Executive Director Dr Francis Fagjot John, challenged stakeholders to consider the importance of making vulnerable people feel remembered.

“What if no one’s birthday had to pass unnoticed?” Ms Lengwe asked.

She said humanitarian support should not be limited to the provision of material needs, but should also help people regain a sense of care, connection and belonging.

“Humanitarian work is not solely about material provisions; it is about restoring human connection,” she said.

Ms Lengwe said UWAOC was chosen to host the inaugural celebration because of its work with vulnerable children, widows and families who require sustained support.

She said the initiative was being coordinated locally with support from the Zambia Diaspora Chamber of Commerce (ZDCC), creating an opportunity for organisations, businesses and members of the Zambian diaspora to work together in supporting vulnerable communities.

Ms Lengwe urged UWAOC leadership to ensure that support and opportunities arising from the initiative were managed transparently and responsibly.

“When opportunity meets good management, transformative things happen,” she said.

She commended Dr John for initiating the programme and said ZDCC would help connect HOPE Africa USA with potential partners and supporters willing to contribute to its work in Zambia.

ZDCC Founder and President Freud C. Musanu called on Zambian businesses, corporates and other stakeholders to support international humanitarian initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of vulnerable families.

In a keynote speech read on his behalf by Lions Club International Young Service Leo Club of Lusaka Ibex member Dyna Kayanika, Mr Musanu said the launch should not be regarded as simply another social gathering.

“This is not simply another date on our calendar. We are not gathered here merely to cut a cake, sing birthday songs, or exchange polite greetings before returning home,” he said.

“Today, we are celebrating humanity. We are celebrating life, dignity, inclusion, belonging and hope.”

Mr Musanu said the initiative provided an opportunity to remind children, widows, caregivers and other vulnerable people that they were valued members of society.

He said the partnership between ZDCC and HOPE Africa USA began following the International Business Exchange (IBEx) 2025 Hybrid Conference, where HOPE Africa USA participated as a delegation.

According to Mr Musanu, the engagement that began at the conference gradually developed into a partnership, with UWAOC becoming one of the key community partners through which the initiative could reach vulnerable families.

“Distance is never an excuse for inaction,” he said.

Mr Musanu commended Dr John and Ms Lengwe for developing the partnership and bringing the initiative to Zambia, saying such collaborations could help connect international goodwill with communities that needed support.

UWAOC Director and Founder Paulo Nyangu said the programme had created an important link between vulnerable families and individuals and organisations willing to make a difference in their lives.

His welcoming speech was delivered by legal consultant Mervin Kabungo.

Mr Nyangu said UWAOC was established in 2011 with just two widows and four orphans but had since grown into an organisation supporting a much larger number of vulnerable people.

He said the centre was registered with the Registrar of Societies and the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services as a non-governmental organisation.

“Every child deserves an opportunity, every widow deserves dignity, and every vulnerable family deserves hope,” Mr Nyangu said.

He said UWAOC currently supports 148 orphaned and vulnerable children, 66 widows, two widowers, five leaders and six volunteer caregivers.

The organisation provides monthly take-home food rations, education support twice a year, feeding programmes every two weeks and home visits to families under its care.

Mr Nyangu said the support provided by the centre could make a significant difference in the daily lives of beneficiaries.

“A bag of food can mean a family goes to bed with something to eat. Education support can mean a child remains in school. A home visit can remind a vulnerable family that they have not been forgotten,” he said.

Beyond direct assistance, Mr Nyangu said UWAOC was working to help beneficiaries become more self-reliant.

He said the organisation was developing a farm in Rufunsa, where maize and sunflower were expected to be harvested, while village banking was being used to encourage widows to engage in income-generating activities.

Mr Nyangu said widows were being encouraged to participate in village banking through soft loans and revolving funds to enable them to start or strengthen small businesses.

“Our vision is therefore not simply to create dependence on donations, but to gradually build stronger, more independent and resilient families,” he said.

He said the birthday initiative was particularly significant because many children from vulnerable families do not have the same opportunities to celebrate their birthdays as other children.

According to Mr Nyangu, the programme would give such children an opportunity to celebrate with others while also receiving the attention and encouragement that can often be taken for granted.

He thanked HOPE Africa USA, ZDCC and other partners for supporting the initiative and choosing UWAOC as the starting point for the programme.

However, Mr Nyangu said UWAOC continued to face several challenges that were affecting its ability to provide adequate services to beneficiaries.

These include inadequate toilet facilities, limited classroom space, lack of a utility vehicle, inadequate accommodation for orphaned and vulnerable children and the aged, security concerns and the absence of a proper main entrance gate.

He appealed to the Government, companies, organisations, cooperating partners and individuals to consider supporting the centre as it works to improve conditions for its beneficiaries.

“With the right partnerships, these challenges can be transformed into opportunities for growth,” he said.

HOPE Africa International, which is based in Kansas City, Missouri, is a US-registered non-profit organisation involved in the distribution of essential goods, community relief and inclusive development.

The organisation says its work is guided by the principle “Create Abilities Over Disabilities,” with an emphasis on ensuring that people facing vulnerability or exclusion are given opportunities to participate in community life.

HOPE Africa USA has appealed to businesses, philanthropists and people of goodwill to support programmes that respond to the needs of vulnerable communities.

“Start where you are, use what you have and do what you can,” the organisation said.

The organisation also announced the FashionFad Infinite Inclusion Runway™ USA, an adaptive fashion and inclusion initiative that is being expanded internationally.

The initiative seeks to promote greater inclusion by creating opportunities for people who are often excluded from mainstream fashion and public platforms.

HOPE Africa USA said the expansion of its programmes in Zambia would require the involvement of local companies, business leaders, philanthropists, community organisations and other stakeholders through sponsorship, donations, professional assistance and partnerships.

The organisation said its long-term ambition was to take the monthly birthday and donations programme beyond Lusaka and into other parts of Zambia, before extending the model to other African communities.

The launch therefore marked the beginning of a programme that seeks to link celebration with practical assistance, while creating a wider network of individuals and organisations committed to supporting people in need.