The ObstaComer Scholarship Program was created in 2020 in honor of Elizabeth Mulenga's late parents Mathew & Jean Mulenga. ObstaComer® initiatives aim to raise funds to educate Zambian orphans, marginalized children and youth in partnership with a Child’s Promise International (CPI). Please visit https://www.achildspromiseint.org/ to learn more about CPI.
Zambia has more than 1 million orphans, giving it the highest per capita orphan rate in the world, according to UNICEF. Zambia has an estimated overall population of 13 million with 64% of its population living on less than USD $1 per day, and 80% living in rural areas on less than USD $1 per day. Zambia has 4th lowest life-expectancy rate in world at 37.5 years.
An “ObstaComer” is a person who has had to overcome many obstacles in life. Elizabeth Mulenga coined the word ObstaComer® on October 24, 2016, inspired by the song “Overcomer” by Christian singer Mandisa. She combined the words obstacle and overcomer to form the word obstacomer. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines overcomer as a person who succeeds in dealing with or gaining control of some problem or difficulty. An obstacle is defined as something that makes it difficult to do something.