Salongo Ntambi Transforming Lives By Helping Children Access Open-Heart Surgeries.
Walking into Salongo George Ntambi’s office is like stepping into a gallery of gratitude and achievement. The walls are adorned with awards and heartfelt portraits from families whose children he has helped, alongside photographs of the countless young lives he has touched by sponsoring successful surgeries.
Ntambi, a former businessman dealing in motor vehicles, has transformed lives by helping disadvantaged children in Uganda access open-heart surgeries in India.
His journey of compassion began with sponsoring children by paying their school fees and providing scholastic materials. Little did he know that his generosity would extend to helping hundreds of underprivileged children who lacked funds for life-saving surgeries and airfare to India.
“One day in 2008, when I opened my door, I thought it would be another case seeking support for education. But it turned out to be about a child named Emmanuel Kabuka, who had a heart condition. At that time, I had never helped anyone with a heart problem,” Ntambi recalls.
Kabuka’s mother pleaded with Ntambi to save her child’s life. “As I read through the echocardiography (ECHO) report, I realized I had no prior experience assisting someone with a heart condition. I decided to verify the case by visiting the Uganda Heart Institute at Mulago,” he recounts. At the institute, Ntambi learned from the experts that Kabuka had been selected for surgery by Gift of Life, but there was no funding for his Air Ticket. “In my mind, I felt a calling to help. I kept seeing Kabuka’s face in my thoughts, and that’s when I resolved to assist disadvantaged children in need of medical help,” Ntambi says.
Together with his daughter, Ntambi started raising funds. He appeared on television stations, approached companies, and even took Kabuka along to ensure people understood his cause was genuine.
While seeking support, Ntambi reached out to an Indian friend at a company in Kyengera, Wakiso district. Eventually, she raised the money needed for Kabuka’s airfare.
However, another challenge arose, finding someone to accompany the child to India, as Kabuka’s mother could not speak English. Ntambi asked his daughter to escort the boy. On the day of their departure, Kabuka collapsed along Entebbe road. Ntambi contacted his boss, who directed them to surgical hospital. Kabuka was found to be severely anaemic and received a blood transfusion. Two days later, they resumed their journey to India.
The surgery, which lasted about eight hours, was successful. Upon their return, Ntambi and Kabuka’s parents celebrated at the airport. “We were overjoyed to see the boy talking, with his chest visibly scarred from the operation,” Ntambi recalls.
As a gesture of gratitude, Kabuka’s father gifted Ntambi a big hen. Ntambi continued supporting the family by providing items like a mattress, mosquito net, and food to ensure Kabuka recovered in good health. He also sponsored Kabuka’s education. Today, Kabuka is married and self-reliant. Ntambi, who attended his wedding, was affectionately referred to by Kabuka as “Daddy.”
ACDIPE is a registered Non-Profit Organization located in Kagoma along Bombo Road in Wakiso District.