First baby born at Indira Gandhi Clinic credits Nujoma for her success

Iyalo Indira-Gandhi Amukwa (25), the first baby born at the Indira Gandhi Clinic in the Omusati region, says the support of founding president Sam Nujoma allowed her to graduate from university in April.

The clinic at Onemanya was named after former prime minister of India Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi, and was funded by the Indian government at Nuoma’s request.

Amukwa shared her deep gratitude for Nujoma’s assistance during an interview last week. She sought help from the founding president in 2020 when she was struggling to pay the registration fees for her first academic year at the University of Namibia.

“I hoped that he would hear my story, knowing where I had been born and the impact on my community. I believed he would help me,” she said.

Amukwa said that she first met with Nujoma’s sister, Frieda Daniel, who arranged a meeting with the founding president.

A few weeks later, she received a call informing her that Nujoma was ready to meet her. During their meeting, she explained that nursing was her passion and she needed help with the registration fees. Without asking many questions, Nujoma provided N$6 000 to help cover the cost.

However, Amukwa faced another setback. She was not accepted into the nursing programme after the final selection for the 2020 academic year and decided to take a gap year. She reapplied the following year.

“In 2021, after receiving another rejection in nursing and an acceptance in my second choice – which was a science-related course – I wrote a letter to the Sam Nujoma Foundation, asking them to reach out to the university on my behalf. Three days later, the university reconsidered my application and accepted me for nursing,” Amukwa said.

“The founding president also deposited another N$6 000 into my school account, and with that, I was able to start my academic journey,” she said.

She also shared that, growing up, she did not initially understand the significance of her name, but now realises the lasting impact of the Indira Gandhi Clinic on her community.

“The founding president’s impact on my community is immeasurable because of the construction of this clinic. It has made medical care more affordable, allowing people to get the help they need.”

One of Amukwa’s most memorable quotes from the late Nujoma came from one of his visits to the clinic, when he stated, “People should be helped whether they can afford healthcare or not.”

This sentiment, she said, left a lasting impression on her.

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