Makumbi Muleba’s power of connection
Makumbi Muleba puts the “multi” in multi-hyphenate: artist, musician, entrepreneur, and humanitarian are all part of this master’s candidate’s skill set.
As a high school student at Chengelo Secondary School in Mkushi, Zambia, Muleba ran a small design studio where he made custom printed T-shirts and designed record jackets all while managing his own dance crew, Cyber Graffiti.
“My secondary school art teacher, Mr. Saul Tembo, sat me down and we had a long conversation about my potential and my future possibilities,” says Muleba (M.F.A., branded entertainment). “He told me about SCAD and I applied immediately. I knew something great would come from that.”
Muleba recently returned to SCAD Atlanta after an extended hiatus in Zambia. “I had to fly home to get my visa renewed. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit my home country and what was supposed to be a two-week trip turned into a seven month stay. I made the best of it and partnered with Zambian Alliance for Empowered Communities (ZAFEC) to help young women gain access to computers and the internet for the first time in their lives.”
Here is the incredible story of how one SCAD student changed the lives of young women eight thousand and ninety-two miles away.
Makumbi Muleba:
As the world was shutting down and we were starting to feel the first effects of the quarantine in Atlanta, I wanted to do something to uplift people and share a little love. I wrote and performed “Thank You 4 Being There (ft. Raphael Bahindwa)” under my musical alias Jak Mohn. I didn’t know what I was going to do with it, but I knew I wanted to use it to create happiness for those in need.
When I realized I was going to be in Zambia longer than I had initially planned, I began to speak to local organizations about how I could use the skills and lessons I have learned at SCAD to help the community.
I began to work with The Pink House Project, an initiative within a community-based organization called ZAFEC, to help young women gain access to digital literacy programs and training. These women have very little in terms of modern resources and educational opportunities. ZAFEC aims at promoting empowerment among adolescent girls and young women, linking them to health services in their communities.
When I spoke with them, they told me they wanted to be fashion designers, teachers, and UN diplomats. They wanted to give back to their community, but they didn’t know how or where to start.
Seeing these women unable to connect to the world around them gave me an idea. I would buy them computers.
The first step was to raise awareness. I spoke to a few of my friends in the music industry in Zambia and we made a music video highlighting The Pink House, the young women, and the local community. I set up a GoFundMe account with a goal of two thousand dollars and — thanks to a lot of support from my SCAD friends — we raised the money in less than a week.
I then bought five computers, built desks, and taught the young ladies how to set up an email account. They immediately began emailing each other as they sat elbow-to-elbow. Local government officials even came for a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The day I flew back to Atlanta for Spring quarter was the day the first set of young women received their digital literacy certificates. They were sending me photos, all of them holding their certificates in the air.
People back home can now see the power of creative careers and the ability for us to dream of a better, happier, more loving future for everyone. I could not have done this without SCAD and the relationships I have created here.
Written by Robert Almand.
