Heart Defects Foundation seeks assistance
• BY MARX ITAMALO
A FOUNDATION established to assist children living with congenital heart defects (CHD) is seeking donors to help it fulfil its mandate of assisting children living with the condition in Namibia.
Congenital heart defect refers to one or more problems with the heart structure that are present at birth. These abnormalities occur when the heart or blood vessels don’t form correctly in Utero. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about eight out of 1000 infants born in Africa each year have a heart defect.
The J.T SAVE LIVES OF CHD KIDS foundation was established by Ondangwa resident Risto Ashikoto in 2018 and aimed to raise funds, connect families with government and individual assistance, collect data on CHD patients and secure global funding to save lives and improve the well–being of CHD patients.
According to Ashikoto, he started the foundation after his nephew Joseph Tangi Makambuli underwent a successful heart operation in Cape Town in 2018. Makambuli suffers from CHD.
“My nephew Joseph Tangi Makambuli went through a successful heart surgery in 2018 in Cape Town, and this inspired me to start this foundation. Unfortunately, the COVID–19 pandemic forced us to put our efforts on hold in 2019.
However, we have resumed our operations this year with the support of Broad – Band Investment PTY (LTD),” Ashikoto told Confidente last weekend at Ondangwa, where the foundation handed over school items to 10 beneficiaries who are all children suffering from CHD and from around Ondangwa town.
Ashikoto indicated that his extensive research has indicated that many children in Namibia suffer from CHD but do not receive the necessary material and mental support because much awareness is not created about the disease.
“We have a lot of children suffering from the condition in Namibia, especially here in the North. However, due to a lack of awareness, this has become detrimental to them. Many of them do not go to school and are not taken good care of, and this is the void that we intend to fill,” he stressed.
Ashikoto further stressed that as part of their operation, they intend to raise between N$ 100 000 and N$ 500 000 to support CHD patients’ surgeries and treatment, connect families with individual and family assistance, collect data for future planning and advocacy, secure funding from global organizations, provide emotional support and resources for hospitalized children, cater for the education of the children and seek scholarships for the children patients.
However, Ashikoto pointed out that they would not entirely rely on donors to reach their objectives. “We will start selling second–hand clothes, design and sell merchandise (caps and T-shirts), sell food and drinks at national events and approach the government for assistance to kick – start our activities as soon as possible, he stressed, adding that prospective donors who want to assist can approach them.
“When we speak of donors, who just don’t mean big corporates or organizations. Anyone can assist. Each one of us have that responsibility of making sure that CHD patients are taken good care of and start living normal and happy lives just like any other person,” he stressed.
One of the beneficiaries at the handover, Anna Otto, expressed gratitude to the foundation for providing her with school shoes and a uniform. “I am very thankful to tate Ashikoto and his foundation. I am happy that when school starts next month, at least I will wear my new shoes and carry my books in the new bag,” the joyful grade zero pupil stressed.