Makolekole is dedicated to improving access to clean water for people living in the Luangwa Valley region of Zambia. We empower people to strengthen their communities and realize their potential.
Makolekole and Makolekole USA (MUSA) work towards the goal of constructing 500 boreholes in this underserved region.
The areas served by Makolekole were previously neglected due to the difficulty of the drilling conditions, the remoteness, and the challenging alluvial geology, which can only be drilled with specialized equipment.
Although larger NGOs that use more traditional rigs for drilling are making headway to improve overall WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) in many parts of Zambia, very rural and hard-to-reach locations, such as the villages in the Luangwa Valley, have not been targeted for support. Without an operation such as Makolekole, which is led by locals who care deeply about their community and are equipped with a lightweight, easy-to-transport rig operated by a local team of experienced drillers, these more remote villages might never have access to water.
In 2022, a group of friends who wanted to support Makolekole in a more meaningful way decided to form Makolekole USA (MUSA), a registered 501c(3)—the formation of the non-profit opened the doors for more participation from donors in the U.S. As the sister organization to Makolekole (in Zambia), our sole mission is to raise funds in order to construct borehole systems in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia.
Zambia is a lower-middle-income country with high levels of poverty and inequality. Nearly half the children live in extreme poverty, and a striking 35% of children under 5 are stunted, putting their cognitive and physical development at risk.
Adrian Carr who is the son of legendary conservation pioneer Norman Carr was born and brought up in Zambia and his wife Christina(Gid) has lived in Zambia for over 20 years. After working in safaris and conservation for a combined 70 years they bought Makolekole Drilling in 2015 and together with the drilling team of Baldwin Chulu, Amon Banda, Fidelis Skabala, Peter Katongola, Thamson Zulu and Blaishu Mambwe have completed over 300 boreholes since then.
Gid Carr is a Brit living in Zambia for more than 20 years. Gid runs Makolekole Drilling with her husband Adrian. At heart the Carrs are conservationists. It is an immense privilege to live in the Luangwa Valley and they are both thankful to be able to contribute to the preservation of this unique wilderness and play their part in bringing clean, safe water to the residents of the Valley.
Colleen McKenna serves as executive director of the AJA Foundation. She loves Zambia and is passionate about helping to solve issues related to lack of water such as female empowerment, education for girls, health and human/wildlife conflict. She is also a strategic and innovative marketing professional with more than 20 years of diverse experience spanning the tech and non-profit sectors. She lives on Maui in the Hawaiian Islands with her teenaged daughter and Rhodesian Ridgeback Nala.
Brittney Melnick is the founder and chief foodie of Curator Catering in Las Vegas. She is a true renaissance woman whose love for food and living life to the fullest have culminated in the creation of her company, which caters over 800 events per year. Her experience in the corporate world taught her that bringing a vision to reality takes foresight, planning and tenacity. Brittney is the chairwoman of the International Caterers Association Educational Foundation (ICAEF). She has led Culinary Learning Journeys (CLJs) to India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. Travel and food are her passions; helping her community also gives her great joy. She now serves on the Makolekole board, raising money for boreholes and drinking water wells in Zambia.
Jessica Gamble is a registered nurse originally from Appalachia residing in Las Vegas, Nevada with her family. Devoted to helping others, she joined Makolekole after an inspiring trip to Zambia where she met the Carrs and witnessed firsthand the need for clean water in local villages. In addition to her commitment to the human right of water, she also serves on the board of the Clark County Medical Society Alliance, and is a volunteer for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. In her free time she enjoys traveling, hosting dinner parties and hiking with her three dogs.
Emily Grigg has a B.S. in Public Health and a M.A. in Communication and has worked as a health coach, in business operations at a nonprofit hospital, and now with healthcare startups in the technology industry. Her passion for travel and experiencing different cultures led her to Africa, and her trips there have impacted her profoundly. She truly believes every person deserves the chance to live a healthy, productive life and is excited to partner with the mission of Makolekole to help make that possible.
Oliver Freund is a marketing and business development professional specializing in the health care non-profit sector. After graduating Syracuse University, Oliver earned his MBA at Pepperdine University and transitioned to the non-profit sector where he could pursue his passion for supporting organizations that are working to improve patient outcomes. Oliver currently serves as Director of Corporate Development for the Prostate Cancer Foundation, working on key initiatives and corporate partnerships to accelerate research to cure the disease.
Alicia Green enjoys supporting organizations as they aim to significantly expand how much they are recognized–and desired–by their target audiences.
She helps them accomplish this through a proprietary approach to market research and buyer preference discovery systems. As a researcher, educator, and award-winning marketer, her experience allows her to provide a globally influenced, yet strongly local, target population perspectives in providing recommendations that will grow donor and volunteer support and leave lasting impressions with target audiences.
Born and raised in Hawaii, Victoria Bowley is the co-owner and operator of Maui Clothing Company and owns and manages multiple commercial and residential rental properties in Hawaii. She is a graduate of Babson College and the London School Of Economics.
Victoria on the board of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), is a member in Impact 100, a women-run philanthropy supporting non-profits locally and globally and presently serves as the President of her daughters’ middle school PTO in Rumson NJ.
