On Friday, 09 April 2021, the 2nd Annual Heart Health Fundraiser event was hosted by the Namibia Heart Foundation and proudly sponsored by Capricorn Group, a partner of the Foundation since its establishment and launch in 2019.
The prestigious event took place at the Hilton hotel with several guests from Capricorn Group, Santam, Standard Bank, Nampower, NIPAM, the Pupkewitz Foundation, C & I Marketing in attendance and adhering to the COVID-19 regulations. This year's fundraiser event was focused on women, raising awareness of heart disease and stroke as the number one killer of women and empowering women to take charge of their heart health. The Ministry of Health and Social Services ensured their support for the event through a well-written address from Hon. Dr Kalumbi Shangula, Minister of Health and Social Services, delivered by the director of ceremonies, Mrs Ilke Platt.
Panel discussion: Biokineticist - Dr. Henry Boshoff; Dietitian, Annalien Turner; Congenital Heart Surgeon, Dr. Fenny Shidhika; and Master of Ceremony at the fundraising event, Ilke Platt.
At the event, Marlize Horn, Group Executive: Brand & Corporate Affairs, said, “As a proudly Namibian regional financial services Group, we live by our Purpose of being Connectors of Positive Change across all the regions we operate. This means that we genuinely believe in making a positive difference in our communities and supporting the Namibia Heart Foundation is one such example." She also shared personal testimonies concerning her family members and demonstrated how heart diseases could affect everyone or someone they may know. Mrs Horn then encouraged more sponsors to come on board and support the Heart Foundation to raise more funds, which would equate to more success stories for others who depend on the Foundation's help for support.
Mr Gerrit De Koe, Founder and CEO of the Namibia Heart Foundation, elaborated on the importance of support and sponsors when he said, “Let us not be affected by this disease before we support but much rather become part of this initiative to prevent all ills with our family and us." Mr De Koe also thanked the current sponsors for their contributions and highlighted Capricorn Group's valuable support to the Foundation.
A diverse panel of medical practitioners enlightened the guests with valuable information about their professions and how it connects to heart diseases and sufferers. Dr Boshoff, a Biokinetic, pointed out that only a small group of the population follow regulators the Dietician, Mrs Turner, believes that the best recipe for a healthy life is moderation, variation, and a balanced lifestyle. She said that dangerous foods to prevent heart disease include sugar, salt, and fat. Dr Fenny Shidhika, a Congenital Heart Surgeon, elaborated how important it is to diagnose it early to plan and manage the conditions related to heart diseases. She explained that babies are identified in the womb with heart diseases, which can often include hard decisions and loss.
Beautiful paintings, created by Capricorn Group employees, was auctioned at the event. The unique pieces in the form of a 'heart' were made for Valentine's Day and to generate awareness and raise funds around heart diseases in collaboration with the Namibia Heart Foundation. The buyers walked away with artwork and received a value-added gift in the form of free brand awareness on all the Heart Foundation videos for 2021.
The event reflected a spirit of unity and collaboration when needed the most, especially now since the world is faced with a pandemic where many people with co-morbidities often lose their lives.
Attendees at the 2nd Annual Heart Health Fundraiser event
