LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
JB Dondolo, a social enterprise removing barriers of access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene to promote gender equity in Zimbabwe
Lumbie Mlambo is Global Goals Ambassador and a graduate from Indiana University South Bend and Texas Woman’s University. She started JB Dondolo after her father’s namesake to provide access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in underserved and impoverished communities to reduce poverty and promote gender equity. Lumbie makes her voice heard about the issues impacting women and girls globally, sharing her insights on how such issues can be addressed. In 2019, she received the UN Global Leadership Award for her work with JB Dondolo on Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6).
Lioness Weekender spoke to Lumbie Mlambo about her social entrepreneurship journey and her mission to positively change the lives of women and girls by removing the barriers to clean water, sanitation and hygiene.
What does your company do?
JB Dondolo is a Social Enterprise founded in 2016 and which today employs 10 people. We remove barriers of access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in underserved and impoverished communities to reduce poverty, provide economic opportunities and room for development and promote gender equity. We focus on women and girls who are the most vulnerable people in these low-income communities to get them out of the cycle of poverty with collection of water. We see a world where clean water is not an obstacle to pursuing a better and more equitable life.
What inspired you to start your company?
When I visited Igusi Clinic in Zimbabwe to help with renovations, I was surprised when the staff asked me for clean water instead. They had no water good enough for consumption. I couldn't imagine anyone going for weeks or months without water, especially women and girls. I was moved by this lack of access to a basic natural resource. I was compelled to take action and I did just that.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Our service is special because we make it easy for underserved communities to access natural resources essential for life. We do that by working with science and technology institutions to implement a scientific approach to providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene to millions of people in rural communities. To ensure inclusion, we're committed to empowering women and girls in order to combat poverty, create possibilities for economic growth, and advance gender parity. We want to boost wellness, lower infant mortality, and offer women and girls the time they missed going on long water-collection journeys. In our vision of the future, digitization is pivotal to ensure access to essential natural resources will not be a barrier to attaining a better and more fair life.
Tell us a little about your team
We are a team of resilient individuals with diverse backgrounds in technology and a burning passion to see women and girls in underserved communities get access to higher education and live an equitable life. Our professional backgrounds include the private industry, public sector, academia, and non-profits. We have been awarded serially for our efforts and achievements in these fields. We are customer-centric, passion-driven, results-driven, and have a "Think-Big" innovative mindset which builds upon the company's mission and vision.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
My parents were farmers in a small rural community in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe. They were self-employed. They were pretty much Social Entrepreneurs because their activities were focused on development and improvement of their community and they did this out of love to see everyone live healthy, equitable lives.
Growing up under their guidance I sort of picked up some of those habits and eventually became a social entrepreneur while I was employed fulltime at a financial institution. I'm glad I got to witness entrepreneurship through my parents at an early age because this lead me to name my company after my father JB Dondolo. The beauty of my company name is that it serves as a constant reminder why I started this company in the first place, especially when the going gets tough. I always go back to the drawing board and say, "Why did I start JB Dondolo? What is the purpose? Am I serving my mission and vision?"
I've failed many times but the one thing that keeps me grounded is "my why". I've learned to stay away from gossip as much as possible because people can destroy your business with lies. I tend to turn a deaf ear to gossip, so the devil never wins. I'm providing a valuable service to underserved and impoverished communities who wouldn't otherwise have this service if I wasn't there, so I'm proud to have found my purpose.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Our customers are the heartbeat and the reason of our existence. Because without them we can’t achieve the long-term benefits that we set out to provide as our mission. We aspire to build inclusive and transformative digital technology solutions. Our interest is on "Tech for Inclusion" because we really want to leverage the power of technology to solve the pain points in underserved rural communities. This will help us to grow and scale our services while stimulating economic growth among women and making sure girls stay in school. We believe in solving problems through creative, innovative solutions. We challenge ourselves to be great thinkers who continuously think "improvement" and "innovation" through the power of technology and science.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
As a Social Netpreneur who gets a wealth of training and mentorship from Alibaba and Tony Elumelu Foundation, I see how my actions impact my communities positively. It gives me great joy to know that I can take this wealth of knowledge and innovate to optimize community benefits. Continuous innovation builds user loyalty that is so valuable to my company's existence and continuity. I know I can address the pain points of women and girls and get them out of the cycle of poverty so they can say goodbye to long walks of collecting water.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
First, never be someone that you're not. Never go into something that you're not passionate about. Never underestimate the role of a woman in this society. If you can't start something of your own, support someone else's initiative by either donating your time, services or knowledge. Just know that no matter how small you think your effort or contribution is, it makes a big impact somewhere.
To find out more about the work of JB Dondolo, send an email to: info@jbdondolo.org or visit the website and social media platforms:
