Hello!

I am Inotila Mwafongwe. I was born in Lusaka, raised in Pretoria and Windhoek, and studied Social Work at the University of Namibia in Windhoek. I have worked as a Social Worker since 2011, I married in 2012, I am a wife of a German man and mother of two beautiful boys. My passion: people.

My Story

I founded the SONDE FOUNDATION for Rare Congenital Diseases, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to reducing the challenge of preterm birth and its impact on children, families, and society.

When I got to know that my shiweli had a gap in his esophageal I was devastated. I needed help. So I started researching via internet and soon connected with a German organisation called KEKS. These people where available any time I needed them. I also connected with experts in the USA and South Africa. The time after birth was cruel, physically and mentally. The first operations here in Namibia where not successful so we ended up in Germany for a final and 100% successful operation. Family, friends and experts are so important to cope with the situation. Our son is leading a perfectly normal live, thanks to so many good people. We have to thank Prof. Dr. Benno Ure in Hannover and his team for the highly professional and successful operation as well as the support of KEKS in Stuttgart, namely Anke Widenmann, and all the friends in Namibia, the USA the UK and Germany and for the moral and financial support.

Now I would like to help babies and their families in the same situation my baby was in, which is not well known in Namibia because is it an extremely rare condition.

When I read in the Namibian press in 2022 about baby Sonde born with esophageal atresia I made contact with the family in the Ovamboland and brought baby Sonde and her overstrained mother to Windhoek for highly professional medical help. One year later baby Sonde was operated in Windhoek but did not survive the operation. That was an absolutely devastation experience. Our hearts are still with her.

I would like to help more babies with the outcome of my boy. I saw it is possible.

We want to work on reducing health and social inequalities linked to preterm birth by providing education, resources, and support to families and healthcare providers. Our dedicated team is made up of healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocates who are passionate about improving the lives of babies born with rare conditons.

Please join us by supporting our efforts to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.