29/07/2026
My Circle Story
Meet Dr Mazyanga Lucy Mazaba
Past President, Ladies’ Circle Zambia (2009/2010)
Past President, Tangent Club Zambia (2024/2025)
For Dr Mazyanga Lucy Mazaba, Circle was never simply an organisation she joined. It became a formative space in which service, leadership and friendship came together, and where many of the relationships created became family.
Her Circle journey began in 2000 as an inaugural team member of Lusaka Ladies’ Circle No. 4. From the outset, she was willing to contribute ideas and take responsibility. In that same year, she proposed a service project and led the drafting of a proposal that was submitted through a competitive process at the Ladies’ Circle International Conference in Germany. The proposal was successful, securing an International Service Project grant to support “The control and prevention of malnutrition among children in Zambian” sited at University Teaching Hospital A07 and Kamanga CBTO for the Circle.
That early achievement left a lasting impression on her. It demonstrated that a locally identified need, when clearly understood and presented with conviction, could mobilise support far beyond one community. It also reinforced principles that would remain central throughout her leadership journey: initiative, teamwork, partnership and the importance of translating good ideas into practical action.
Over the years, Mazyanga served in several club and national roles, including Club Secretary, National Projects Convenor, Vice Chairperson and Chairperson of Lusaka Ladies’ Circle No. 4, National Stores Convenor, National Secretary and National Vice President. Each responsibility stretched her in a different way and prepared her for the next. Her Circle leadership journey culminated in her service as President of Ladies’ Circle Zambia in 2009/2010.
Her presidential theme was “Shine Your Light to Brighten a Life.” The theme expressed her belief that everyone carries something that can make a difference - knowledge, time, a skill, an idea, a relationship or simply a willingness to care. Leadership, in her view, is partly about helping people recognise that light within themselves and encouraging them to use it in service of others.
Her Circle years included initiatives addressing childhood malnutrition, malaria among pregnant women, tuberculosis and the needs of children living with physical and intellectual disabilities. These experiences showed her what women could accomplish when compassion was supported by organisation, shared responsibility and sustained action.
However, some of her most treasured memories are not attached to a title, conference or project. They are found in the friendships that grew around Circle. The members became so close that their children grew up believing they were related. They shared family milestones, supported one another through life’s different seasons and created bonds that extended well beyond formal meetings.
In a beautiful continuation of that story, Mazyanga’s eldest daughter later married the son of a Past Circler who is now a Tangent member and whose husband is a 41er. What began as friendship within the Round Table Family became family in the most literal sense. For Mazyanga, this is among the most meaningful legacies of Circle - relationships established through service being carried into the next generation.
Circle also became a practical school of leadership. It taught her how to work with people of different personalities, build consensus, mobilise resources and balance community service with professional and family responsibilities. Most importantly, it reinforced that leadership is not about doing everything oneself. It is about recognising the abilities of others, distributing trust and creating space for people to contribute and grow.
After completing her Circle years, Mazyanga’s commitment to service and sisterhood found renewed expression in Tangent Club Zambia. She served as Chairperson of the Lusaka Chapter before becoming National President for 2024/2025.
Her Tangent presidential theme “Busya Nyali - Turn on a Lamp to Light Up a Life” intentionally carried forward the message of her Ladies’ Circle presidency fifteen years earlier.
The two themes reflect a continuous personal philosophy, that is, we must first recognise the light within ourselves and then deliberately use it to illuminate the path for someone else.
For Mazyanga, Tangent is more than an organisation for women who have completed their Circle years. It is a space where friendships deepen, experience becomes mentorship and women continue serving through different seasons of life. It provides an opportunity to support younger Circlers without taking over their space, to remain available, encourage their leadership and allow them to create their own legacy.
Reflecting on her journey, she says:
“Ladies’ Circle gave me an opportunity to help build, serve and lead. It also gave me sisters whose families became my family. Tangent has allowed those friendships and our commitment to service to continue. I have learned that leadership has seasons, but friendship and service do not have an expiry date.”
Her message to today’s Circlers is - “Use your Circle years fully. Do not wait for a title before sharing your ideas or offering your skills. Accept responsibility, learn from one another and remain connected to the communities we exist to serve. Treasure the friendships you build for they may become part of your children’s lives and your family story. And as your own light grows, use it to help another woman discover hers.”
From helping establish Lusaka Ladies’ Circle No. 4 and securing international support for its work in 2000, to leading both Ladies’ Circle Zambia and Tangent Club Zambia, Mazyanga’s journey has been held together by service, sisterhood and light. It is a reminder that the deepest impact of Circle is found not only in the projects completed or offices held, but also in the people we become and the relationships we carry with us.
