The Silent Network of Change: Liane Lombard’s Story

Liane Lombard’s Emergency Help Group quietly transformed Harare’s emergency response

In a world where viral fame often outshines meaningful work, some changemakers prefer to stay invisible yet indispensable. Liane Lombard is one of them. She is not chasing headlines or applause, but her quiet, persistent acts of service have redefined how Harare responds to emergencies and community crises.

Lombard, a single mother and seasoned professional with over 20 years in management and infrastructure, turned her personal hardships into a mission. Currently, she is a Real Estate negotiator with Hollands. In 2016, following her divorce, she founded Emergency Help Group (EHG) — initially a simple WhatsApp chat for neighbours to exchange updates and warnings. That small seed blossomed into one of Harare’s most vital grassroots emergency networks, bridging gaps left by overstretched city services.

Her model is deceptively simple yet revolutionary. EHG’s prepaid emergency services cover ambulance call-out fees in advance, ensuring that victims receive help immediately instead of being stalled by financial disputes. The group also works in lockstep with police, fire services, and private medical providers, while leveraging community fundraising.

One of the major fires in the CBD

The results speak for themselves. When major fires swept through Glen View and central Harare, official fire brigades responded first and in time, but EHG volunteers then helped organize the water bowsers through their service providers. In medical crises, their prepaid ambulance model saved lives. City authorities, including Mayor Jacob Mafume and spokesperson Stanley Gama, have publicly praised the group for their pivotal role in “saving lives and averting extreme disasters.”

A post-fire statement highlighting the support from EHG

But beyond the accolades, Lombard’s true influence lies in the trust she has cultivated. Her organisation has become a first call for families in distress — a dependable lifeline in moments when every second counts. And while imitators have tried to profit from the idea, EHG’s integrity and transparency have kept it the trusted backbone of Harare’s emergency response ecosystem.

Lombard herself radiates warmth and conviction. “I think I am here on earth to help people feel safe, to feel better, and to be the light in a world of darkness,” she says — a statement that reads both like a confession and a mission.

Her story reminds us that change is not always about movements with megaphones or leaders with mass followings. Sometimes, it’s about unseen networks — the fungal filaments beneath a forest floor, the WhatsApp group that becomes a lifeline, the neighbour who shows up with a water bowser when flames rage.

Liane Lombard has built more than an organisation; she has built trust, resilience, and hope. Her legacy is a reminder that ordinary people, armed with determination and compassion, can quietly transform a city.