By A Special Correspondent
NMB Bank’s life-saving commitment to children with heart complications took the spotlight yesterday, December 3, 2025 in Dar es Salaam when Managing Director and CEO Ruth Zaipuna led a high-level delegation to the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI).
The visit highlighted the lender’s pioneering role in advancing pediatric cardiac care for underserved families, showcasing how its TSh 1 billion pledge announced last year is already making a tangible national impact by enabling life-saving treatments for children who would otherwise have limited access to specialized healthcare.
Announced on November 2 last year, NMB’s TSh 1 billion four-year commitment aims to treat 250 children battling congenital and other cardiovascular diseases.
Speaking at the end of the yesterday visit, Ms Zaipuna revealed that the bank has already disbursed TSh 500 million – half of the total pledge – which has financed 125 successful surgeries so far.
“We sincerely thank JKCI for their exceptional work in performing these life-saving surgeries, and we remain committed to collaborating with all partners to make this mission a continued success,” she said. “We are proud that through our support, more children from less privileged families are given a chance to grow up healthy and strong.”
She added that an additional TSh 250 million will be released in January next year, guaranteeing continuity of treatment for children currently in the medical pipeline.
Ms Zaipuna emphasised that the bank’s support goes beyond financial contributions.
NMB is deepening its partnership with JKCI, Heart Team Africa Foundation, and Global Medicare to expand outreach, accelerate surgeries, and strengthen long-term cardiac care infrastructure.
She said the bank is will critically consider the idea for a Recovery House – a dedicated facility for children awaiting operations or healing post-surgery – designed to ease the financial and emotional strain on families traveling from remote regions.
JKCI Executive Director Dr. Peter Kisenge reaffirmed NMB’s status as the institute’s “number one partner” in enabling access to care for underserved communities.
He noted that the bank’s contribution over the past three years has driven substantial improvements in service delivery, reduced waiting times, and expanded the number of children JKCI can treat annually.
Heart Team Africa Foundation CEO Dr. Naizihijwa Majani said NMB’s funding has had national reach, supporting children from 20 regions. Of the 185 operations performed this year, 125 were funded directly by NMB, she said – a proportion that demonstrates both the severity of the burden and the transformative impact of targeted financing.
For mothers like Veronica Temba and Asimina Issa from Kilimanjaro, the NMB Bank support has been nothing short of life-changing. Unable to afford the high cost of pediatric heart surgery, they described NMB’s intervention as a blessing.
“Please keep going,” they pleaded. “Families like ours depend on this lifeline.” As the visit came to a close, one message stood out: NMB’s heartcare initiative is not just a CSR project. It is a national investment in the lives of children who might otherwise be left without hope.
