Education for the children of Bongani Kaimila

The tragic death of Dr. Bongani Kaimila

Dr. Bongani Kaimila of Lilongwe, Malawi tragically and unexpectedly passed away at the age of 36 on the 4th of November 2022. Dr. Kaimila was a physician scientist of long standing with the University of North Carolina Project in Lilongwe. He was a dedicated clinician and directed the cancer clinic where over the years thousands of cancer patients were treated under his direction. He was a thoughtful and brilliant researcher and was the principal investigator in many activities to understand, detect and treat Esophageal Cancer in the African context. This rising star, so full of optimism and kindness, is no longer shining. Bongani Kaimila was a loving husband and a doting father to 4 amazing children and a friend to all. Bongani was a very devoted father, who adored his young kids, Zahara and Zaire, 6 year old twins; Lwazi, 4 years; and Lumbani, 3 years old.

The purpose for establishing this Go Fund Me

Bongani’s family and all colleagues who knew and worked with him are devastated with his sudden death that has left four young children who have decades of schooling ahead of them. We have established this GoFundMe page in response to friends and colleagues who have been asking how they can support the children and the family. The funds raised will go directly towards scholarships for the children.

The Children

Zahara and Zaire, the twins, are in Grade 2 at Great Beginnings Christian Academy in Area 25, Lilongwe, Malawi.

Zahara likes flowers and gardening. She loves nature and going to beautiful, natural places like gardens and the beach.

Zaire loves reading and making discoveries. She loves watching kid science shows such as Ada Twist Scientist and Emily's Wonder Lab.

Lwazi is in pre-school, at the same school as her 2 older sisters, Great Beginnings Christian Academy. Lwazi is independent and loves to explore. She loves music and singing, and making others laugh.

Lumbani is in Baby Class at Super Kids Academy in Area 18B. He loves running around, cars, especially construction vehicles, and enjoys watching Blippi.

All the kids were about to begin swimming lessons and enjoyed videos about underwater discoveries as well as history documentaries. They all like painting/ sketch art and making snow globes.

Bongani’s love for his family and his community

Bongani loved his children so much and believed in providing them with the best education and extracurricular activities including visiting beaches, wildlife centers and providing them with opportunities to nurture their talent. He was also instrumental in supporting other children through his leadership at his Baptist Church where he initiated a fundraising activity to support children with special needs. Bongani’s wife and their children will need support to realize what their father envisioned for his children.

Please consider making a generous gift to the family in memory of Dr. Bongani Kaimila

Alternative funding mechanism

Those who prefer to donate funds through the UNC Health Foundation https://unchealthfoundation.org/ should donate to the Dzama Malawi Fund (348858) a fund within the Health Foundation where we can pay school fees for the children of deceased UNC Project, Malawi employees.