Bushmen are treated as third class citizens and live in extreme poverty
Adult onset diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer are sharply increasing in Bushmen and
alcoholism has become prevalent
Many Bushmen children suffer from malnutrition, disease, discrimination and abuse
As part of N/a’an ku sê’s social responsibility programme we started a medical
outreach project in 2003 to help marginalized local people and provide accessible affordable
primary healthcare to those living in the region of Epukiro in the east of Namibia.
»»» Improving Health: The clinic is dedicated to the health and welfare of
the Bushmen community.
»»» Making a real difference: The clinic has treated nearly 3000 patients
over the past year.
»»» Free treatments: Over 2200 (72%) of the patients were Bushmen who
were treated for free.
»»» Giving back independence and autonomy for the future: Our volunteer
coordinator has been working with the local Bushmen community to help improve their lives and
enable them to become more self sufficient. They have re-introduced their traditional craft
making, which provides an income, and have started growing their own vegetables.
The clinic is vital to treat children like seven year old Frans, whose mum, Dina, called out from
the street near the clinic to our nurse late one evening this March. Speaking in Afrikaans Dina
explained that Frans had a lump on his tummy and a high fever. Anna dropped everything to
immediately bring Dina and Frans into the clinic for an examination, which revealed a lump by
his belly button. Anna diagnosed a tic bite and Frans was given antibiotics to stop any infection
and paracetamol to bring his fever down.
If the Lifeline Clinic had not been there, Dina and Frans, would have needed to find the money to
pay to go to the state clinic. It is unlikely that they would have been able to find the money and
the infection would have been left untreated. In this case, Frans's tic bite could have lead to
severe sickness and even death.
The clinic relies on the current volunteer program, sponsorship and much needed donations to
continue to run. Without this ongoing support the clinic would have to close and could no longer
support the free medical care given to the local Bushmen. To make a donation
please email donationsnaankuse@iway.na
Help us continue to provide treatment to the marginalized Bushman
community by making a donation to our Lifeline Clinic
pay for a patient scheme.
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