 Ii nilsen Mandela said that it doesn't matter how many hours you get to how much money you have, but how many people's life have changed. And that no money in this world can pay for the happiness of someone who was blind. And when you take that iPad and they tell you, doctor, or my child, I can see. We are very, very gratifying and that's why we keep on going back all the time. My name is Helen Andume. I was born in Sumet and it was during the colonial apartheid time when we were colonized by South Africa. My name is Wadumaya, one and only Anoian village where from Ghana. Beautiful, the Anointed one. No, not Anointed, Anoing. Oh, Anoing, oh no, you are not Anoing at all, we love it. We just love the way you are marketing Africa, putting it out there for the world to know that Africa is not what is perceived in the western world that maybe that you are just on trees like mangas eating banana. There are incredible people on this continent. And you are one of them. Thank you for putting me among those. That is why I am here today. You started sending me your profiles. Telling me that one thing that they even love about you is about the charity that you do. Actually giving people the chance to see again. And I don't know if that is true but I think we need to hear from you. I come from the town in Northern Namibia. Almost maybe let me so 400 km from the northern borders with Angola. And during the war when we were fighting to liberate Namibia, of course many young people were leaving the country to join Swapo. And Swapo was the organization fighting to liberate Namibia. And it was that time based in Zambia and of course also Angola. And many people were leaving the country to go and join the struggle. And some of us also heard that if you go to Swapo you will get the best education because the education that was in Namibia by then, it was a system of education where black people's education was not on par with the white people's education. The schools where there was a big disparity there. Okay, we left, we were four girls. We escaped at night, came at the borders in Angola. And the South African soldiers were patrolling the border. And remember the grace of God we managed to cross the borders and then went into Angola. In Angola we found Swapo soldiers or the freedom fighters already there receiving these new kids who are coming from Namibia. Okay, also during that time there was war in Angola between, that was 1975, among the three parties. Unita, FNLA and MPLA. But MPLA by then they were the ones ruling the country and they were the true representative of the Angolan people. And the president was Agostino Neto who later died of course. And then through the war we managed to pass in Angola and sometimes you come into a town you are in the middle of the war, in the middle of the night while you are sleeping the bullets all over flying on top of you there. Then you move on, you come into the town you find only corpses on the bodies lying all over and imagine the tender age of 15 seeing all this. It was very terrifying. And we managed to go through all these wars and I know even our car even broke down we had to walk for something like more than 100 kilometers. Yes, yeah, walking. Going towards the borders of Zambia and Angola to enter into Zambia. So later on the car they managed to repair to get reinforcement. It was repair, they found us walking and went in the car, proceeded. We came now at the borders between Angola and Zambia now there was a river, the Kwandu River. Now how to cross this river? We didn't know how to swim coming from Namibia. Swimming pools were just for white people. The only water that we used to plunge in is when it rains when the water comes with all the dead that's where we used to play and swim. I won't say swim because we didn't know how to swim. And now they brought a dugout canoe this was an Angolan man with a dugout canoe and we were told that now you have to get into this canoe. What? And we started crying there with our little suitcases we started crying and said we are not going to go there we are going to fall in the river. And it took them maybe more than an hour for them to convince us. In the end we agreed we went into the canoe and we were really shaking. One canoe went in one canoe and then our suitcases were in the other canoe. And then we went into this canoe sailing now and then you found that there were some narrow strips and then suddenly you come into a big area and mind you this is the river, the Kwanto River where South Africa reconnaissance used to come looking for Namibian freedom fighter for our swap of guerrillas so that they can bomb them. And we crossed we were shaking there but as children after 10, 15 minutes we started loving it. We still started singing our liberation songs but the moment we come into this open big area then we keep quiet. We became so scared and then we passed again. If you tell me to do that today I will never do it because that is where the hippos are that's where they breed their children the crocodiles how I don't even want to think about it. And then we crossed came into the Zambia people were already receiving us waiting to receive us in Zambia went to Zambia we were now in a camp that we built ourselves and schools were there hospital they got all these people some Namibians left already in the 60s to join the liberation struggle our former president they left in the 60s already and they were there they received us we built our schools the teachers we had some Namibians who were studying all over the world America, England, whatever they were recalled to come back so that they could teach these young people who just left Namibia even one of the doctors like Dr. Libertina Amadila she became my adopted mother later they were recalled to come and start clinics and to treat sick people in the refugee in the Swapo refugee camps okay fine on the diplomatic front also we had our Swapo leaders negotiating seriously with other African countries so that they can take some of these children into their country to go to schools there and that's how some of us how I landed in the Gambia somewhere went to Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria Senegal, the Gambia River Sierra Leone, Liberia we were spread all over and I ended up in the Gambia and that's why I told you the story my first landing coming out on the plane for the first time the first country that I landed into was Accra and we were staying there Kotoka International Airport and that's why when I went back two years ago I was looking for this Kotoka International Airport that was nowhere to be seen the whole place have changed completely yeah it has changed completely which year was that when you 1976 1976 that was my first time going to Ghana and of course 2018 I would just went there with my son and my niece just to show them where I went to school to and also Ghana of course where I landed first and to take them also to to Cape Coast to see where the place the place of Northern East how Africans were taken from their motherland for 400 years to the Americans so I want to know you landed in Ghana for how many days before going to Gambia like 10 days what were you doing in Ghana in the past 10 days normally just been shown around the place and to also because there was a group of Ghanaian students who went before us so just to stay with them and of course they were also looking forward for people who are coming from the refugee camps to tell them what is the latest how the fight is going whether we are making progress just to connect also with others while we are waiting to go to the other countries and it was also during holiday that time they were all on holiday so from there we went to Sierra Leone we stayed also maybe a week in Sierra Leone left some students there and then we continued further to the Gambia you schooled in the Gambia? I still in the Gambia that's why I did my secondary school then from there what happened? after secondary school of course I came back to Angola I finished my secondary school when you finish your secondary school you go back to the camps in Angola in the refugee camps because you must know also the people were still coming the refugee camps were becoming bigger and bigger you have in Zambia and then you had in Angola and then you go like for one year you teach the small kids in the refugee camps so you are giving some assignments to do before you go to university and when I came back I work in Luwanda in our Swapo office in the transport office we are the one taking care of the logistics and making because Swapo was getting a lot of donations from other countries especially the Scandinavian countries clothing, food and we load them on trucks because they can be transported to the refugee camps or also the battlefields where our soldiers were they also need food they need clothing they need soap they need medicine everything was transported so where did you have your university education? after one year I stayed there so then I was told that now the scholarship opened to go to Germany that time it was the German Democratic Republic so I went to Germany and that's where I did medicine I wanted to go and do fashion actually my first preference was fashion and medicine was number two second preference and our secretary of education who later also became the minister of education and later the prime minister told me that this fashion of yours is not going to work independent Namibian will need medical doctors then fashion designers so you are going to do medicine I just didn't understand this how can fashion not be important you know when you were young so I had this guiding angels and in Africa we brought up that when an elder says something you don't answer or refuse so I said okay I'm going to do medicine so I went to do medicine in Germany so lucky enough when I finished medicine when I finished my studies that's 1989 then also we were being repatriated back to come to Namibia there was no independence and now it was not independence we had just been repatriated back to United Resolution 435 went into action we were now told to come back home people were coming back home to take part in the elections and like I said thanks God swapo on the elections after being one I came I worked in the hospital as an intern doing my internship and after my internship I went back again to Germany to specialize and that's how I specialize in ophthalmology I specialist you know what I got to know you because you are an I specialist one of the things that everyone is talking about you is you being notable for the charity work that you are doing you are actually giving a lot of people the chance to see again you could be in your office, treat people maybe one day will tell you you see a magician again so we just want to know what really inspired you to do what you do like in terms of like giving back to the society yeah and you know when we were in the refugee camps and sometimes Semnyoma Komile Semnyoma will come and tell us young people you have to study very hard you have to go and give back to the opress Namibian to our opress Namibian back at home we have to go it's only education which will make it possible for us to develop our country and of course taking into consideration that all my studies were never paid for my parents it's no way where my parents were even going to have the money to send me to school and when I finished my medicine you came you come back home here and then you find that like when I was in my internship people also have eye problems but they really don't complain about the eyes they just say my chest or my stomach those are the problems that they give you but you know that and you see many people are going blind and then I also wanted to do occupational medicine to specialize and then my Auntie Libertina she's also a medical doctor with these little hands I think in ophthalmology we need so I went back I did ophthalmology and came back and when I came back of course I started now this program actually I started the program with some Americans I met in an organization called Surgical Eye Expedition and they are based in Sanda Barbara and before that I went to India because when I finished my specialization I said how do I go home with all the high tech here in Germany if things are going to be might be tough for me and then my professor my German professor told me why don't you go to India you learn a lot there and I did that I went to India I was there for 8 months and I saw so many diseases that I only read in textbooks and my Indian colleague were diagnosing or diagnosing diseases or seeing diseases just by looking with the torch while in Germany we have to use the magnifying slit limb I said how do you do that then later I will take this patient put them on the magnifying slit limb and then what I see is exactly what they were telling me I said wow this is what I needed to providing proper healthcare with the little that you have and that was very impressive and that's also where I learned how to go out into the village collect these patients and give them signs do surgeries there and give them signs bringing the health to the poor people in the village if you go to the village you find empty coca cola tins and whatever coca cola is marketing itself in the village where are we as doctors we should also market ourselves into the villages and okay I said my education was never paid off by my parents it was because of swapo that I got where I am so it's better I have to go and give back I was given back I must also give back started this program surgical eye expedition and since 1997 with my first eye cam we went to do the screening up north there in the place called Rundo and we screened so many people more than 500 people were screening and we booked more than 200 to come for the operation but when we went back three weeks after we went back only maybe 80 people came and we say why where are all of them now it was going around in the villages that where have you had someone operating on an eye it was unheard of this little girl this little girl just went to damage your eyes even though they were already blind they couldn't see they just went to damage your eyes fine we went we did this 80 people and then we went back home those who came in who could not see just being pulled on the stick they went back on their own working free when we went back they followed we couldn't control the crowds at all there were so many and even those who were operating doctor we have come back for the second eye come come come come look at all these ladies here women I brought them along they were also blind like me and the interesting thing she was working in front with her one eye seeing and all the others are holding on her this one is holding on her dress the other one on the other dress very interesting thing to do and it just bring tears to your eyes and that's how it started every year we go to like 3-4 places to flow regions and we did this one thing which I have to mention here is that my government was very receptive and they helped a lot with the logistic for us to bring medicine or help to the people who needed it most it was very well coordinated thing and you can do this also when you have the government that is also willing to do their part and help we have been doing this since 1997 until today you know you come somewhere after you have done your surgery and then I go around you find this woman who came who couldn't see anything she is sitting down there eating fish and taking out all the bones many thanks you that you get doctor now that I can see I'm going to work on my field doctor now that I can see I'm going to see my grandchildren doctor now that I can see my pension money somebody will take my pension money I will see my pension money this happiness it just fuels you to keep on going back it's very difficult to organize such an item but you think about the innocent person in the village that just keep on pushing just keep on pushing put a smile on someone's face I think Nelson Mandela said that it doesn't matter how many hours you get or how much money you have but how many people's life have you changed and that no money in this world can pay for the happiness of someone who was blind and when you take of that iPad and they tell you doctor or my child I can see that is very gratifying and that's why we keep on going back all the time I want to say that keep up the good work congratulations because we are from Ghana and we heard about you that's why we came over here now I just want you to come to Africa we all live in Africa Namibia is in Africa so we want to know do you believe that there are opportunities in Africa that young Africans can I mean mine opportunities on the continent of course there are many many opportunities on the African continent we for the millennia to take part for the millennia to grab one thing is this the entitlement it must stop and waiting for sometimes waiting for governments it must stop do your part but it is also true the Gawa government must also set up incentive and institution to help this couple young people to come up it's not that when these young people are coming I have this project whatever no go away whatever next time you find is the Chinese who are coming to do the thing thank you which means that I have to ask you this question we have a lot of Africans living in the diaspora they keep on complaining Chinese West coming to Africa to invest in Africa but they are there do you think it's time for them to get involved on the change that is going on on the continent you were in Germany you stated in Germany you should have stayed in Germany for a while decided to come back and change don't you think you have a message for your fellow brothers and sisters living in the diaspora they should come back and contribute and do their part but also don't just push them to come back when you have not created incentives for them to come back to but the thing is that you came to create I came because my government was there also to help me they created this environment for me conducive environment for me to working but if you don't do that for the young people they will remain where they are but the most this happening thing we went out as slaves been taking slaves to go and build the Americas but today no we are not being taken by the white people as slaves we are instead going ourselves in the canoes whatever those boats rubbish boats I'm very sorry to say that but terrible condition the way now they are living the Mediterranean what is our African what are our African leaders doing about it how do they feel seeing our young people dying on the seas how do they feel yesterday we were taking slaves no because you didn't create conducive environment for our young people to flourish in their living and mass are you trying to say that there is a problem with African leadership I think there is if you don't create proper conducive environment for your young people to flourish in they will run away if you are taking if you are allowing other people to come and plan everything I mean look at the mining who is mining our gold who is mining our platinum who is mining our whatever you find that our people are nowhere there to be seen what do you expect they run away if you had a chance to change one thing in the continent Africa what would that be wow very difficult question I don't know difficult question if even it's not one if you have many things universal health coverage that is what I want to have in this continent where you don't have to pay and am in the leg to get proper health treatment that's what I want is there a problem with our healthcare system there is if you don't have money you don't get the best treatment that's why people those who have money they go to Europe or maybe not to India look at the medical tourism people going to India is because that the Indians revolutionize their health system they are making manufacturing medicine most of the majority they are the biggest makers of vaccines also where are we as Africans here why can we be the same we are the most educated people if you go to America top doctors are Africans especially from West Africa from your country they are there can they come back because we have never created conducive environment for them to work in this has resulted in a brain drain exactly brain drain it is so bad it's very very bad final message to each and every African watching us right now final message no I wish all the Africans very well we must hold hands put our hands together to make a better Africa for our grandchildren we have the wealth we can do it we have the wealth we can do it exactly we have the wealth diamond is here gold is here platinum look at Congo very rich they have almost every metal you can think about we can do it thank you thank you so much for talking to me I really appreciate your time