Windhoek
Queen Elizabeth has awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) to Linda Bullen, a co-founder of the Catherine Bullen Foundation.
The foundation is involved in the provision of health care in rural Namibia.
Linda Bullen is on Queen Elizabeth’s birthday honors list that was issued last weekend.
Catherine Bullen Foundation provides services to relieve poverty, sickness, distress and the preservation of health in rural Namibia.
Some of its projects include the construction of the Otjimanangombe Primary Health Care Clinic (2008), the sinking of boreholes for primary schools to have access to clean water (2004) and the donation of a fully equipped modern ambulance vehicle in the Omaheke Region. Linda Bullen expressed joy and gratitude on receiving the MBE. “This award is a special personal proud moment for me but especially for all the family members and supporters of the Catherine Bullen Foundation for the past 10 years both in the UK and Namibia,” said Linda Bullen.
In 2002, Catherine Bullen a fifth-year medical student at Bristol University in the UK, who was the daughter of Linda and Roger Bullen, travelled to Namibia to go on safari prior to hospital placement in Zambia and Tanzania.
Two days into the safari, Catherine fell ill and despite some gallant efforts to save her, she died in Oshivelo on August 23, 2002. “Trying to deal with the loss of our daughter, the family had a feeling that something positive must emerge from this appalling tragedy and hence the Catherine Bullen Foundation was set up in 2005 its primary aim being the improvements to health and hostel facilities in the Omaheke Region,” she stated.