Unite for life: Namibian blood drive breaks records

Replenishing critically-low blood stock
The event sought to inspire the youth to save lives through blood donation.
Michaiyla Hansen
The Namibian Blood Transfusion Service (NamBTS), the Shincheonji Church of Jesus and Khomas Region governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua recently joined forces for a successful blood drive.

The event aimed to replenish critically-low blood stock and inspire the youth to actively engage in the noble act of saving lives through blood donation. Facing an alarming shortage, NamBTS made fervent appeals to the public, and Shincheonji volunteers responded to encourage the community.

“Be the reason for someone’s heartbeat,” McLeod-Katjirua said.

Volunteer Dr Estee Joubert shared first-hand experiences of how blood shortages profoundly impact patients, and emphasised the practical manifestation of Jesus' teachings to love and care for one another.

McLeod-Katjirua further highlighted the significant impact of donor contributions, stating that a single donation has the potential to save three lives. Stressing the crucial role of blood in community health, she shared staggering statistics - that blood is needed every two seconds, and that it is involved in one in every seven hospital admissions.



62 donations

Expressing excitement and gratitude to be part of the collaborative effort, the governor commended the youth's active involvement in the Shincheonji Church and their commitment to God's work.

The blood drive exceeded its goal of gathering a minimum of 50 blood donations, ultimately collecting more than 62 donations during the event. NamBTS marketing officer Frieda Vatileni shared that this accomplishment translates to saving more than 150 lives.

Despite the success, NamBTS emphasised the need for continued support, revealing that only about 1% of Namibians donate blood. The appeal resonated with a powerful message: Let us extend love to everyone, recognising that our shared blood can unite us.

McLeod-Katjirua concluded the event by expressing gratitude to NamBTS for consistently raising awareness about blood shortages and eagerly anticipating participating in Shincheonji volunteers’ future social projects.

This collaborative effort, fuelled by the youth's commitment to making a positive impact, exemplifies the power of unity in addressing critical community needs. It not only broke records, but also highlighted the potential for positive change when diverse groups come together for a common cause.

Kommentaar

Republikein 2024-05-02

Geen kommentaar is op hierdie artikel gelaat nie

Meld asseblief aan om kommentaar te lewer

LaLiga: Barcelona 4 vs 2 Valencia SerieA: Genoa 3 vs 0 Cagliari European Championships Qualifying: Coventry City 1 vs 2 Ipswich Town | Preston North End 0 vs 3 Leicester City English Championship: Coventry City 1 vs 2 Ipswich Town | Preston North End 0 vs 3 Leicester City Katima Mulilo: 12° | 33° Rundu: 12° | 31° Eenhana: 14° | 33° Oshakati: 16° | 32° Ruacana: 15° | 32° Tsumeb: 15° | 31° Otjiwarongo: 14° | 29° Omaruru: 15° | 32° Windhoek: 13° | 27° Gobabis: 15° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 21° Wind speed: 40km/h, Wind direction: E, Low tide: 04:26, High tide: 10:41, Low Tide: 16:45, High tide: 23:19 Swakopmund: 16° | 18° Wind speed: 30km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 04:24, High tide: 10:39, Low Tide: 16:43, High tide: 23:17 Walvis Bay: 17° | 25° Wind speed: 30km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 04:24, High tide: 10:38, Low Tide: 16:43, High tide: 23:16 Rehoboth: 15° | 29° Mariental: 18° | 31° Keetmanshoop: 20° | 32° Aranos: 18° | 30° Lüderitz: 14° | 25° Ariamsvlei: 20° | 34° Oranjemund: 14° | 22° Luanda: 25° | 28° Gaborone: 16° | 29° Lubumbashi: 11° | 26° Mbabane: 14° | 25° Maseru: 10° | 26° Antananarivo: 15° | 25° Lilongwe: 14° | 28° Maputo: 18° | 28° Windhoek: 13° | 27° Cape Town: 16° | 24° Durban: 18° | 26° Johannesburg: 17° | 26° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 30° Lusaka: 15° | 27° Harare: 13° | 27° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.25 | EUR to NAD 19.91 | CNY to NAD 2.59 | USD to NAD 18.62 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.32 | EGP to NAD 0.38 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.68 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.58 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.22 | USD to DZD 134.12 | USD to AOA 834.06 | USD to BWP 13.64 | USD to EGP 48 | USD to KES 134.48 | USD to NGN 1389.52 | USD to ZAR 18.62 | USD to ZMW 26.87 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 76076.19 Down -0.5% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1690.93 Down -0.96% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13319.36 Down -0.41% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 24448.73 Down -6.01% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9146.09 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 298.73/OZ UP +0.32% | Copper US$ 4.47/lb DOWN -0.0071 | Zinc US$ 2 892.30/T UP 0.62% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 84.90/BBP DOWN -0.0207 | Platinum US$ 948.92/OZ UP +1.51% Sport results: LaLiga: Barcelona 4 vs 2 Valencia SerieA: Genoa 3 vs 0 Cagliari European Championships Qualifying: Coventry City 1 vs 2 Ipswich Town | Preston North End 0 vs 3 Leicester City English Championship: Coventry City 1 vs 2 Ipswich Town | Preston North End 0 vs 3 Leicester City Weather: Katima Mulilo: 12° | 33° Rundu: 12° | 31° Eenhana: 14° | 33° Oshakati: 16° | 32° Ruacana: 15° | 32° Tsumeb: 15° | 31° Otjiwarongo: 14° | 29° Omaruru: 15° | 32° Windhoek: 13° | 27° Gobabis: 15° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 21° Wind speed: 40km/h, Wind direction: E, Low tide: 04:26, High tide: 10:41, Low Tide: 16:45, High tide: 23:19 Swakopmund: 16° | 18° Wind speed: 30km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 04:24, High tide: 10:39, Low Tide: 16:43, High tide: 23:17 Walvis Bay: 17° | 25° Wind speed: 30km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 04:24, High tide: 10:38, Low Tide: 16:43, High tide: 23:16 Rehoboth: 15° | 29° Mariental: 18° | 31° Keetmanshoop: 20° | 32° Aranos: 18° | 30° Lüderitz: 14° | 25° Ariamsvlei: 20° | 34° Oranjemund: 14° | 22° Luanda: 25° | 28° Gaborone: 16° | 29° Lubumbashi: 11° | 26° Mbabane: 14° | 25° Maseru: 10° | 26° Antananarivo: 15° | 25° Lilongwe: 14° | 28° Maputo: 18° | 28° Windhoek: 13° | 27° Cape Town: 16° | 24° Durban: 18° | 26° Johannesburg: 17° | 26° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 30° Lusaka: 15° | 27° Harare: 13° | 27° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.25 | EUR to NAD 19.91 | CNY to NAD 2.59 | USD to NAD 18.62 | DZD to NAD 0.14 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.32 | EGP to NAD 0.38 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.68 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.58 | RUB to NAD 0.2 | INR to NAD 0.22 | USD to DZD 134.12 | USD to AOA 834.06 | USD to BWP 13.64 | USD to EGP 48 | USD to KES 134.48 | USD to NGN 1389.52 | USD to ZAR 18.62 | USD to ZMW 26.87 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index 76076.19 Down -0.5% | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1690.93 Down -0.96% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13319.36 Down -0.41% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 24448.73 Down -6.01% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9146.09 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 298.73/OZ UP +0.32% | Copper US$ 4.47/lb DOWN -0.0071 | Zinc US$ 2 892.30/T UP 0.62% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 84.90/BBP DOWN -0.0207 | Platinum US$ 948.92/OZ UP +1.51%