The name Helena is not too far when discussing hard work, intelligence, elegance, and kindness. Helena Ndaipovanhu Ndume, rightly named Dr Miracle by her people, is one of only six Namibian ophthalmologists. She is also the founder and CEO of the country’s first eye hospital, the Okakarara Eye Institute.
Dr Ndume is well known for helping hundreds of people in Namibia regain their sight. She has improved access to eye care in Namibia for over 20 years and has helped train a new generation of ophthalmologists.
Recognizing her work, she was awarded the Namibian Order of Merit in 2014. Dr Ndume is an inspirational figure who has significantly improved eye health in Namibia.
Dr Ndume was not born a superhuman; her journey to excellence started from somewhere. Born in 1959/1960 (age 61–62), she grew up in Tsumeb, Oshikoto Region. According to her, she grew up in a loving but strict household that upheld morality and virtue.
Early Life and Education of Dr Ndume
When she was 15, she and others from her community went into exile. She went to live in the Gambia because of the war raging in Namibia. It was in the Gambia that she completed her secondary education.
Dr Ndume only sometimes dreamed of becoming a physician. Instead, she wanted to become a fashion designer like her mother. While growing up, she learned to make dresses like other women in the Gambia.
Because things sometimes go differently than we planned, Dr Ndume didn’t study fashion design. However, Nahas Angula, one of the elders she looked up to, encouraged her to instead go for medicine. So, of course, she followed his advice, and from all indications, it was a great decision.
Dr Ndume studied medicine at the University of Leipzig. However, studying Studying medicine still did not dim her passion for fashion. She took up part-time jobs while in school. From her jobs, she saved money to travel to France by train. In France, she walked through the streets and admired the fashion style of the French.
Dr Ndume didn’t let her interest in fashion get in the way of her medical studies. In 1989 she completed her education in Germany. She then returned to Namibia for a medical internship. She later returned to Germany to further her education. That was when she specialized in ophthalmology at the University of Saarland.
Dr Helena Ndume’s Family Life
Dr Helena Ndume got married, but her husband died when she was nine months pregnant with their son. She later remarried Dr Solomon Guramatunhu, who is also an eye specialist. Over the years, he has supported her in her medical expeditions.
Dr Helena Ndume’sWorks and Achievements
Dr Ndume’s charitable services are noteworthy, spanning several communities over the years. Her greatest inspiration comes from her experiences during the war in her country. She saw many people suffer from infections that affected their sight.
She also saw how poverty prevented them from getting proper care, making her offer help in the best way possible.
She began her eye outreaches In 1995. Then, she joined Surgical Eye Expeditions International. That was when she started working on her first project in Namibia. In August 1997, she held the first eye camp at Rundu, Kavango Region. It has blossomed into something bigger than she had imagined. Currently, four or five eye camps hold each year in different locations.
SEE International is a non-profit organization that helps to end preventable blindness. They offer services in the United States and other countries across the globe. She has collaborated with this organization to hold free eye clinics in Namibia. These clinics usually last for a whole week and take place twice every year.
Approximately 300 people receive free eye treatment and surgeries during the clinic week. Dr Helena Ndume also served as the vice chairperson of the Namibia Red Cross Society from 2001 to 2006. She currently serves as Head of Ophthalmology at the Windhoek Central Hospital.
Dr Helena Ndume’s Awards
She has received several international honours, such as:
- Grand Commander of the Order of Namibia First Class
- Red Cross International Humanitarian Service Award (2009)
- Rotary International Humanitarian Award in the fight against blindness (2008)
- Namibia National Science Award (2005)
- United Nations Nelson Mandela Prize (2015.)
- Humanitarian award for the prevention of blindness in Santa Barbara, California, USA (2001)
- One of BBC’s 100 women (2018)
- Lions International Award recognized her sincere efforts with the Lions Operation Brightsight Project (1999)
Dr Helena Ndume’s commitment to serving humanity is a blessing to many. Because of this, thousands of people regain their sight. She still enjoys dressing up and attending fashion shows.
Find out more about award-winning women here.
