A humanitarian is often described as someone who has a genuine concern for, or to help improve the welfare and happiness of people. Fitting that definition is Dr. Mwelwa Mulenga, vice president for Energy and Infrastructure Los Angeles-Lusaka Sister City Committee, and a scholar-practitioner in entrepreneurship and organizational leadership.
Zambia native Mulenga came to America over 20 years ago and became a successful entrepreneur and businessman. He is an active member of the Los Angeles-Lusaka Sister City Committee as Lusaka, Zambia is the first and oldest, founded in 1968, African Sister City to the City of Los Angeles.
In recent interview with the L.A. Sentinel, Dr. Mulenga discussed his work in America and Zambia, what he is most proud of, and how L.A. natives can get involved with the Sister City Committee.
When asked about the Sister City connection, Dr. Mulenga shared, “Los Angeles and Lusaka are Sister Cities, if you go to Lusaka you will feel at home there. It’s a nice place full of good people, you will feel like you’re at home.
“Our Black brothers and sisters were taken away 400+ years ago and every time they set their feet on Lusaka soil; they feel they have come back home. We have a duty to support, to help, and make the lives of children much easier. We don’t get paid for the work we do in the Sister City, we are volunteers. We would love our friends in Los Angeles to join us and continue to support us.”
Los Angeles has 26 Sister Cities around the world. In partnership with the Los Angeles African American Women Political Action Committee, the Los Angles-Lusaka Committee hosted the Africa Day Luncheon on May 25, 2024, at the Westin Los Angeles Airport, with 125 plus attendees to encourage advocacy and raise funds for an X-Ray machine for the Children’s Unit at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka, Zambia.
Dr. Mulenga took the charge for giving back and the lead on building teams in Lusaka, Zambia and Los Angeles, for the Twin Cities on both sides of the world to achieve this humanitarian effort to provide medical equipment, supplies, and champion the pharmaceutical campaign for Hydroxyurea, a possible solution for sickle cell, to be donated to UTH Children’s Hospital.
“I’ve always wanted to teach. In the final years of my working life, I want to slow down and use my experiences in business and entrepreneurship to teach young people coming up in disadvantaged communities in Africa for example, and here in the United Sates. I plan to start teaching in areas in business, free of charge,” he said.
Mulenga volunteers for several organizations in the United States and Zambia, including lecturing graduate students in the School of Education at the University of Zambia. He lectures in qualitative research methodology and organizational leadership. He has also lectured, as part of a team of lecturers from Northeastern University, in the Executive Education Program for university executives from the University of San Francisco Quito in Ecuador.
“The Sister City has been important to the relationship of Los Angeles and Lusaka. Our team has worked on some magnificent projects; scholarships for Zambians to come study at Southwest College and arranged electronic microscopes for UTH in Lusaka,” explained Dr. Mulenga.
“We run a small finance group supporting women with small capital to start small businesses in Zambia. we’re donating water and paying for water resources in Zambia for a continuous flow of clean water that prevent outbreaks, as well as uniforms and food for the children attending school.
“In 2021, we donated fire equipment to the city of Lusaka. That was extremely instrumental during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our latest project is with UTH raising capital to buy CT-Scan machines, MRI machines, and X-Ray machines. To get involved we encourage people to reach out to us so we can continue to help one another,” Dr. Mulenga said.
Some have answered their call to advocacy and raising funds, equipment, supplies, medical apparel, and medications for the Children’s Unit at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka. The Los Angeles-Lusaka relationship with the hospital dates to medical supplies presented in 1992, equipment in the late 1990’s and other items in 2011.
Dr. Mulenga earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Excelsior College in the State University of New York at Albany, a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the California State University at Los Angeles, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, graduating magna cum laude, from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. He has also attended the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Executive Education Program in Leadership.
As a practitioner he has broad corporate experience including that of president, vice-president, and entrepreneurial leadership. As a scholar, Mulenga lectures and writes on entrepreneurship and leadership. He developed the general definition and general theory of leadership, both which were published in 2021 as “The General Theory of Leadership” defining leadership, understanding how it emerges in individuals, and learning how to practice leadership in organizations and administrative roles.
“There has never been a general theory of leadership until I worked on it. While I was working on my dissertation, which is useful in academic cycles, I couldn’t find any definitions of leadership. I told myself when I was done with my dissertation and I’ll all my doctoral studies, I’ll come back and find a definition for leadership that someone can use while doing research,” noted Dr. Mulenga.
“After I finished school, I started working on how to define leadership in six to eight months to come up with one. Then I worked on the general theory, which also has never existed. I took the two concepts and put them in book form for students who are studying leadership as their textbook, and now over 50 countries are using it as a textbook in academic settings.”
Mulenga’s leadership has proven to be instrumental and effective. He is proud of the work he has done and continues to do. The number one disease in Lusaka for children is sickle cell. His work has secured medicine and equipment to fight the disease.
“I’m proud that I live in the United States and able to support the people in Zambia,” he said.
“I look forward to being a good citizen of the U.S. but also a very helpful individual for both the people here and in Zambia.”
To donate and get involved, email Mulenga at [email protected].
