By Loveness Nyathi -@lovie1988
Born and bred in Bulawayo a business woman turned philanthropist, Lynn Ndlovu (43) is appealing for assistance from the public and the government to build a clinic and school for children living with hydrocephalus.
Hydrocephalus is a condition in which the brain accumulates a large volume of fluids, causing increased pressure in the skull, and causing headaches, double vision, poor balance and mental impairment among adults.
In children it usually causes a rapid increase in the size of the head, vomiting, sleepiness, and downward pointing of the eyes.
Ndlovu said the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) gave her organisation land in Nkulumane to build this institution to take care of these children but their efforts were hampered by insufficient resources as “we are operating from our small pockets”.
Ndlovu told Amakhosikazi Media that her organisation, the Hydrocephalus Association Trust, was set up to take care of children living with hydrocephalus, “by giving them basic amenities, educational assistance, medical and moral support”.
“As a child I can’t remember when we were alone as a family,” she said of what inspired her work. “My parents always took care of the extended family. I just found myself doing the same thing. I took care of my cousin when she lost her sight. I followed my parents’ example to assist a lot of the less privileged children”.
She said one day she came across a child living with hydrocephalus in Ntabazinduna. “In 2016 I decided to register a trust,” says Ndlovu.
“Here I am taking care of children living with this condition. We have serious challenges of funding. We have about 18 children that we have registered with the association.
“Since we set up the organisation, we haven’t done much as we are still doing projects to raise funds. We do home visits and hospital visits and also hold Christmas parties for emotional support.”
The organisation is, at the moment, operating from No 52 Fort Street and 3rd Ave at Dayaa Building.
“We intend to build an institution that comprises of a clinic and a slow learners’ school,” Ndlovu said. “We were given land to build by the city council in Nkulumane. We have not yet managed to get funding and are still using our own coffers.”
Ndlovu said she is an entrepreneur involved in botiquing and communication business. “These days I am just doing commodity broking as per request,” she said. “I am a mother of three amazing children, all girls. The first born(s) are a set of twins.”
Ndlovu said the future goals of the organisation is to empower the care givers of children living with Hydrocephalus to do projects in terms of income generating projects like bee keeping, cattle fattening, piggery and market gardening “for their self-sustenance.”
She said her advice to other women is that they must always remember that God gave us equal opportunities “and each and every individual was born for her own purpose.” “Allow yourself to live your God given purpose,” she said.
