It was all glitz, glamour and serious women’s business at The Blush Foundation’s 4^th annual fundraising event which took place last Saturday at The Dome in Swakopmund, with the primary focus on dementia awareness in women.

In his opening remarks, co-founder of The Blush Foundation, Johnathan Harris gave a detailed presentation of what the Foundation is about and emphasised the fact that they not only cater for the Erongo region but also reach out to marginalised communities countrywide. Harris also cleared the air regarding men’s involvement in the Foundation, noting that The Blush Foundation is pro-women but not anti-men. He further made a quite shocking statement, noting that about 70% of young girls in Swakopmund are struggling with menstrual health challenges. In Harris’ well-received presentation, he touched on the Foundation’s progress since inception among others. The Foundation’s main sponsor for this event waws Nedbank Namibia. In her remarks, Nedbank Namibia’s head of private banking, Ms Rosy Eixas noted that The Blush Foundation is a beacon of hope for many vulnerable girls across Namibia, ensuring that young Namibian girls can attend school with dignity and self-confidence during their menstrual period. She also reconfirmed Nedbank Namibia’s commitment to the Foundation.  

One of the speakers all the way from South Africa, Ms Candice Chirwa (“Minister of Menstruation”) shared her first menstruation experience with the packed conference centre, concluding that menstruation is not something to be ashamed of, as it is a normal, natural phase. Psychiatrist, Dr Rykie Liebenberg then tackled the main focus point of the event – dementia in women. There is no cure for dementia. Dr Liebenberg however noted that the human brain is neuroplastic and capable of healing. “Exercise, sleeping and eating well, and socialising” are some of the treatments for dementia which Dr Liebenberg recommended. The causes of dementia, as per Dr Liebenberg, can firstly be genetic, running in the family. Other probable causes are lifestyle diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic disturbances.

Alcohol abuse and not being active enough can also cause dementia, says Dr Liebenberg. The ladies present were also cautioned that excessive screen time could trigger dementia. According to Dr Liebenberg a daily “dose” of more than four hours on the screen can increase chances of obtaining dementia by 30%. Dietician, Jasmine Van Beek then gave a thorough presentation on healthy eating and exercising, whereafter the co-founder of the Foundation, Charlie Hartung took centre stage, sharing her heartwarming but sad story of her late mother’s struggle with dementia. According to Charlie, she found strength in her late mother’s situation, vowing to become an example for her daughter and everyone else by exercising precautionary measures in prevention of being diagnosed with dementia.     

The Blush Foundation (TBF) is a registered non-profit organisation with the High Court of Namibia (T346/2022). Governed by a Board of Trustees and a Trust Deed. TBF under its project called The Sanitary Towel Project is dedicated to improving the lives of young women and girls through menstrual health support, awareness campaigns, mentorship programs, and community engagement.