Kabwe Ka Mukuba

This documentary tells the story of Caleb, a young activist working tirelessly to advocate for a more sustainable future for his community. Lead pollution has made his hometown –- Kabwe, Zambia — ‘the world’s most toxic town,’ with over 100,000 people affected by the crisis.

The film follows Caleb as he gives talks in schools, speaks about the impact of the lead crisis on his life, and meets other affected community members, including a man making a living off the now defunct lead mine. This story captures the vulnerable side of unwavering activism as Caleb reckons with the future of his home.

Director Statement

Two generations ago, Zambia as we know it did not exist; it was called Northern Rhodesia and was a British colony. Since Zambia is such a young state, it is still recovering (and is continually impacted) from the effects of British colonialism and ongoing neo-colonialism. In Kabwe, lead pollution is clearly and directly linked to colonization. The Broken Hill Mine was (for the majority of its operations) owned by Anglo-American, a British company. The mishandling of the mine resulted in widespread lead contamination in surrounding communities, including in Makululu, one of the largest informal settlements in Southern Africa. We made this film to address the lack of current information and awareness about the catastrophic health and environmental emergency in Kabwe. The city’s lead pollution crisis has been an open secret for too long.

About the Directors

Audrey Hubbard

I am a documentary filmmaker aspiring to share stories of perseverance, resilience and hope in a complicated world. I believe in the art of perpetual learning and will work tirelessly to showcase these stories.

Joshua Kalenga

Joshua graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Computer Science from Colorado College in 2023. He currently works as a software engineer for Microsoft in Redmond, WA.