The Foundation was set up in memory of Catherine Bullen, a fifth year medical student who died of virulent gastro-enteritis while travelling in Namibia in 2002. Her family, friends and the university were devastated by the death and a memorial fund was set up. i Parents Roger and Linda Bullen (who was honoured with an MBE in 2015) completed the fund’s first project, a borehole at Omuhaturua Primary School in Omaheke region, in 2004. The Foundation is based in West Mersea, Colchester (CO5 8RS).
The fund became a registered charity in 2004 and Roger and Linda and volunteers set about raising £100,000 to provide a medical clinic in remote Otjimanangombe. It works with local Komeho Namibia Development Agency which supervised construction, the first bricks were laid in 2007 and it was completed in 2008. The Ministry of Health since extended the clinic, with support from the Global Fund, and employs the nursing and other staff. The fund also procured an ambulance for the area which was handed to Government. In 2008 the fund was renamed the Foundation.
The Foundation then upgraded the hostels for boarders at the Omuhaturua school and the Bullens travelled to Paris and motivated students and teachers of the International School of Paris to support this with visits, new beds, decoration and other help. The Foundation supported construction of a kitchen and covered seated area using environmentally appropriate construction, and this opened in 2011. Toilet blocks were handed over in 2018 and a large storeroom was converted into another large dormitory and the Foundation donated 130 mattresses donated.
Next up was Eiseb Primary School, where the Foundation has raise money and built a 40-bed third dormitory to ease overcrowding and including toilets and showers. which opened in 2015. It has also built a kitchen and a secure covered area with tables and chairs which opened in 2016. The Namibia German Special Initiative Programme (NGSIP) has supported further expansion.
The Regional Governor Pijoo Nganate, alerted them to Donkerbos Pirmary School where the nearest borehole was 6km away and the children were limited to 2 glasses of water a day, with 30 in hospital suffering from scabies. The NGSIP had built toilets and showers, which could not be used without water. Two boreholes were drilled and one found considerable water at 255 metres, and solar panels and pipework were installed.
These are among many projects and fund-raising activities of the Foundation and its keen supporters and partners, such as another ambulance, an irrigation system, uniforms and a multipurpose hall. The charity is also also supporting the much bigger Catherine Bullen Primary Healthcare Clinic in Oshivelo, which the Government named after Catherine who had died there. Linda, who retired after a long UK career as a midwife, applies each year for permission to work as a volunteer nurse in Namibia during their visits and sees 20-30 patients a day at Otjimanangombe Primary Healthcare Clinic and also works when they are in Oshivelo.
More details of the projects can be found on the webpage here.
Contact details:
- Trustees Chairperson: Roger Bullen
- Tel: +44 (0)1206 383368
- Email: info@namibia-aid.org.uk
Charity number 1110516.