Improving the lives of children has been the driving force behind Dr. Doreen Mulenga’s career of more than 25 years. As a dedicated member of the Advisory Board for Hear the World Foundation, and having retired in 2020, she now focuses on giving back to society. Her primary concern is addressing the critical question: How can we reach the most vulnerable?
As a teenager, Doreen could hardly believe what her grandmother told her: She had given birth to 13 children, all at home and without medical assistance. “Giving birth alone at home—isn’t that dangerous?” the then 10 year-old wondered. This thought sparked a desire in her: I want to help ensure that women can give birth in a safer environment. This inspired her to study medicine.
During an internship at a hospital, however, she realized: “As a doctor, I only get to see people when they are really ill. But I want to help improve people’s living conditions so that they don’t get sick in the first place.” Doreen realized that she wanted to work on prevention issues such as access to clean drinking water, vaccinations and a healthy lifestyle. The path to this goal was also clear to her: after studying medicine in Zambia, she moved to Australia to pursue a master’s degree in public health.
For children around the world
When she later returned to Zambia she was able to realize her professional dream of working in the field of prevention. She became the deputy manager of Zambia’s program for HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, and tuberculosis. One of her key tasks was to develop a pilot program to prevent the transmission of syphilis from pregnant women to their babies.
In the 1990s, she joined UNICEF and worked there until she retired in 2020. Doreen was responsible for programs aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV and ensuring access to essential medicines, services and social protection for women and children worldwide. In Uganda, she also came in touch with children with hearing loss: A pilot project by her organization investigated the key factors for children with hearing or vision loss to access basic medical and social protection care.
A new learning experience
Throughout her career in international development, Doreen established a diverse network of contacts. This later led to her connection with Hear the World Foundation. She realized that this would be a great opportunity to contribute her experience. “I also love learning new things,”.
As part of the Advisory Board, she helps evaluate submitted project proposals, introduces new ideas to the foundation, and advises on ongoing projects. “With my professional background and leadership experience, I can contribute when it comes to project governance, programme implementation as well as monitoring and evaluation,”.
Living up to full potential
For Doreen, the question of whether we are reaching the most vulnerable children through Hear the World Foundation projects is key. She is particularly concerned about children with hearing loss who live in very remote areas and have limited access to medical services. “We want to give these children a future where they can reach their full potential,” is Doreen’s vision.
The question of what she can continue to contribute to society after retirement is a key issue for Doreen. Today, she is involved in a mentoring program at her former primary school and in a service club to support entrepreneurs from the most vulnerable communities. In addition to Hear the World Foundation, she is also on the board of trustees of two other women and child focused organizations. “This is in line with my core values – in the sense that I can give something back to society as well as to children and their families in particular. It’s a way of paying it forward because I was able to go to school and later study on a scholarship.”