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Quickfire Questions Lumbie Mlambo, Founder of JB Dondolo

February 14, 2025

Quickfire Questions Lumbie Mlambo, Founder of JB Dondolo

Lumbie Mlambo, founder of JB Dondolo is a nonprofit organization in Zimbabwe named after her late father, JB Dondolo.

Their mission is to remove barriers of access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene in underserved and impoverished communities to reduce poverty and promote gender equity.

Before you read, click here to read part one of this interview with Lumbie Mlambo.

What’s your favourite travel destination in Africa and why?

Zimbabwe because that’s where I was born. That’s where I’m from. That’s the motherland for me. There’s no place like home. Even though I left when I was really young. But still, to me, it’s like that’s where I was born, that’s where my parents lived. So, yeah, it’s Zimbabwe.

What hobby do you enjoy in your free time and how does it help you relax?

I do like pilates because I stretch and just be myself in my moment. It helps me relax and because when I’m done, I just grab my decaf tea drink that so natural, you know and just Do nothing just and then go to bed

What’s the best book you’ve read recently and how has it impacted your life?

I think the book by Shirley Brunswick, where she had co-authors on that book, and I’m one of the co-authors, the book is called ‘What’s Space Has Got To Do With It?’I love it because in my work with water, I mean, working with space technologies and all that stuff. It’s got everything to do with it. It goes beyond that so that is my favorite book by far.

If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who will that be and why?

If Nelson Mandela was still alive, I think that would have been the person. Honestly, I think he is by far a person that I admire to this day. Why should anyone go to prison for 28 years? Really? For just freedom of speech?

For 27 years and you’re still humble and you still forgive. I mean, heads up to him. I respected Nelson Mandela so much when he walked out of the prison and he was smiling. All I could see on his face was just God. I said, for anyone to be like that it had to be God.

And to make friends with your enemies, the people who put you in prison for that matter, to make friends with them and to forgive them. Who would do that? Who does that? Come on now. I mean, I like him because it teaches us the value of forgiveness.

It actually defines the meaning of forgiving anyone 70 times 70. If you want to learn how to forgive 70 times 7, I will say, look at Nelson Mandela. Then you can forgive that many times. If he was alive today, he would still be forgiving. I’m sure in his lifetime, he forgave 70 times 7 or even more. So that’s why I look up to him till this day. I respect him.

What’s one thing you can’t travel without and why is it so essential to you?

I can’t travel without my makeup. I love putting on makeup because it makes me confident about myself, about who I am. Sometimes when I look at myself without makeup I don’t feel that confident. But when I put on that little makeup, if it’s just powder, I’m like, whoa, now I’m ready. So I feel like I cannot travel without my makeup.

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