Steps2Walk programme: Every Step Creates Change

What started as a passionate dream by Dr Mark Myerson, President and Founder of Steps2Walk, in 2011, has grown into a life-changing programme impacting thousands of people around the world, particularly in regions with limited access to specialised orthopaedic care.

Now in its eighth year in Namibia, three visiting orthopaedic surgeons from the USA, China and Brazil will join local surgeons Dr Jacques Jonck and Dr TK Majojo to perform 47 orthopaedic surgeries. Patients selected from all 14 regions of Namibia will receive these life-changing operations free of charge.

 Dr. TK Majojo (Orthopaedic Surgeon, Head of Department for Orthopaedics at Windhoek 

The surgeries will take place at the Lady Pohamba Private Hospital and Windhoek Central Hospital, both of which have availed their theatres for the three-day programme. The Lady Pohamba Private Hospital is facilitating the procedures free of charge. This partnership showcases how public and private institutions can work together to bring meaningful change to fellow Namibians.

The same can be said for the corporate sponsors who help make this initiative possible in Namibia, including, inter alia, the FirstRand Namibia Foundation, whose valuable contribution helps fund the specialised equipment required for these procedures.

The Gondwana Care Trust has proudly supported the programme for several years. This year, the Trust welcomed the visiting faculty and doctors to Namibia with a stay at Okapuka Safari Lodge, giving them an opportunity to experience the beauty of our country before commencing the valuable work they have come to do.

Mrs Revonia Job (Sponsorship & Social Impact Manager, FirstRand Namibia) & Quintin Hartung (Environmental and Social Impact Manager)  

Joining the surgeons are four medical doctors from around the world, as well as delegates from across the SADC region.

A key part of the programme is the transfer of knowledge and skills from experienced orthopaedic surgeons to local and aspiring doctors and surgeons in the countries visited by Steps2Walk, thereby amplifying the programme's long-term impact.

Dr Mark Myerson (President & Founder of Steps2Walk)

The Steps2Walk programme continues to deliver life-changing humanitarian surgeries to people who would otherwise rarely gain access to such specialised medical care.

In the words of Dr Myerson during his Overview of the Steps2Walk Namibia Programme and Faculty Introduction at the stakeholder event held at Lady Pohamba Private Hospital.

"You cannot experience the meaning and purpose of life to the full until you do something for someone who can never repay you.”