Story by Abigirl Tembo,Health Editor
A Harare man, Mr Julian Buss, is being celebrated for a lifetime of giving after donating blood 300 times over nearly five decades.
The rare milestone is inspiring renewed calls for Zimbabweans to support the national blood supply and help save lives.
Mr Buss’s journey began in 1977 at the age of 25, when he started donating blood as part of a small group initiative at his workplace. What started as a simple act of goodwill evolved into a lifelong commitment.
It is a remarkable feat that saw him continue donating regularly until the age of 70, when he stopped in line with donation regulations.
“We started it as a group at the office, there were about five or six of us, and one of the guys had been donating for years, his name’s up on the boards here, he managed to get to about 200, and we just kept donating, we kept coming, it was a regular thing we kept donating, it is a commitment to try and help and to do what you can. You do not know where the blood’s going. You do not know who is getting it or what. We just know it goes to people who need it. And that is it,” Mr Buss said.
His contribution extends beyond personal effort, with his wife also playing a role by donating blood dozens of times, reflecting a shared family commitment to saving lives.
National Blood Service Zimbabwe Chief Executive Officer, Ms Lucy Marowa, described the achievement as rare and deeply inspiring, urging more citizens to become regular donors.
“The President is always saying “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”. So, in our small way, in fact, it is not small, it is big, because when we save a life, we have done something bigger than anything we’ve ever imagined. So, as we look forward to the future, I pray that we have more donors like you to reach out to us. More individuals who will roll up their sleeves and say, ‘My army is ready to save the lives of our people.’ More citizens who will partner with us, and more people who will say, ‘I will stand with the National Blood Service.’
“Maybe I cannot give blood, but I can give my time, maybe I can give resources, maybe I can give something just to make sure the National Blood Programme never runs dry. Imagine if we had five donors who gave 300 times in every province. Maybe if we had 10 of them championing this cause, would the National blood supply be able to run dry? I do not think so. So we, you and I, have a duty out here. Let us be advocates. Let us join Mr Buss and all of the other donors,” she said.
Mr Buss’s legacy goes beyond the 300 donations he made; it lives on in the lives saved and the families given more time with their loved ones.
His story serves as a powerful reminder that while donating blood may seem like a small act, it can mean the difference between life and death for someone in need.
