The Beginning of Restoration: Why We Founded the Maccabeus Foundation

By Dr Moses Simuyemba, Founder & Executive Director

A Crisis Close to Home

Even before COVID-19 shook the world, a quieter crisis was unfolding in our communities — addiction, depression, and emotional trauma were tightening their grip on families, churches, and entire generations. I saw it not only in global headlines, but in the eyes of friends, the stories of relatives, and the silences that lingered in too many households.

The pandemic made everything harder. It isolated the vulnerable, broke already thin support systems, and forced many to turn inward — into anxiety, despair, or substances they hoped would numb the pain. But the truth is, this crisis didn’t begin with COVID. It began long before, with untreated trauma, broken systems, and a lack of safe, dignified spaces for healing.

A Global Shift Toward New Models of Healing

Around the world, a new story is emerging — one where alternative therapies like psilocybin, ibogaine, and medical cannabis are being rediscovered not as shortcuts, but as powerful tools in the hands of trained professionals. Studies are showing remarkable breakthroughs in treating depression, PTSD, and substance dependence. Countries are beginning to decriminalize compassion. And science is starting to affirm what many indigenous cultures and spiritual traditions have long known: healing requires more than medicine — it requires meaning.

But Africa, and Zambia in particular, has been largely left out of this conversation. And we asked ourselves: why?

Why Maccabeus? Why Now?

The name Maccabeus carries with it the spirit of resistance — of standing for what is right, sacred, and life-giving in the face of destruction. That is the spirit in which we founded this movement.

The Maccabeus Foundation is our response to suffering. Not with stigma. Not with silence. But with bold, ethical, faith-rooted action.

We are laying the groundwork for a mental health model that:

• Honors science while being anchored in faith
• Integrates global best practices with local wisdom
• Advocates for justice, dignity, and compassion in how we approach healing
• Seeks to restore not only minds — but lives, families, and futures

What We’re Building

This isn’t a quick project. It’s a movement.

We’re working across several pillars:

• Legal & Policy Reform — creating safe, ethical frameworks for alternative therapies
• Therapeutic Program Design — guided by harm reduction, clinical oversight, and cultural relevance
• Training & Capacity Building — equipping Zambian professionals to lead this work
• Research & Learning — partnering with national and global institutions for ethical, evidence-based healing
• Community Education & Prevention — because healing starts before crisis

Our foundation is faith. Our guide is science. Our compass is the people we serve.

What Does Holistic Healing Look Like?

At the heart of Maccabeus Foundation is a vision of whole-person healing — not just clinical recovery, but deep restoration of mind, body, spirit, and community. This means moving beyond symptom management and toward a model that integrates medical oversight, spiritual care, traditional wisdom, and personal transformation.

Across the world, we’ve seen glimpses of what’s possible:

• In South Africa, centres like Magalies Wellness are quietly piloting psychedelic-assisted therapy with trained facilitators in safe, reflective environments
• In Mexico, places like Beond offer ibogaine-based programs combining medical detox, psychological support, and deep spiritual renewal
• In Portugal and Canada, harm reduction and decriminalization models have shown us that compassion — not punishment — changes lives

What if Zambia could offer something as powerful? A model that is rooted in faith, informed by science, and shaped by the rhythms of African community — not as an imported system, but as a homegrown movement of hope.

This is not about copying what works elsewhere. It’s about learning, adapting, and boldly creating something our people can trust, own, and believe in.

A Personal Invitation

If you’re reading this, you are already part of this story.

Whether you’re a clinician, a policymaker, a researcher, a donor, a spiritual leader — or simply someone who believes in restoration — we invite you to walk with us.

There is so much pain in the world. But there is also hope. There is wisdom. There is healing.

And at Maccabeus, we believe that healing can begin right here, in Zambia — and radiate far beyond.

Join us. The work of restoration has begun.

Follow our journey. Share this vision. Or explore how to get involved here.
Questions or encouragement? Write to us at connect@maccabeus.org