Our FOUNDING STORY
Born in the corridors of hope, survival and faith in divine intervention.
“Our initiative was not born in a boardroom — it was born in the corridors of hope, survival and faith in divine intervention.”
The Obaziutani Heart Health Initiative was founded on 17 February 2026, but its real beginning was months earlier — in the corridors of a Nigerian hospital, where a mother held a small child whose heart was struggling to do what hearts are supposed to do.
She was told the diagnosis. She was not told what to do next. She had to find the specialist. She had to find the money. She had to translate medical terms in the middle of the night to relatives who needed to understand. She had to be a nurse, an administrator, a fundraiser, a counsellor — and still be a mother.
That mother survived. Her child survived. But the system that asked her to do all of that alone did not change. So she changed it. OHHI is the bridge she needed — built so the next mother does not have to walk that path by herself.
Our vision
A Nigeria where every child born with a Congenital Heart Defect has a fighting chance at a full life — backed by accessible healthcare and a resilient, supportive family.
Our mission
To remove the clinical, financial, institutional, and psychosocial barriers that stand between a Nigerian child with CHD and the care that child deserves.
What we stand for
Our values
Governance & accountability
Built to be trusted with your support.
OHHI is a CAC-registered Nigerian non-governmental organisation with SCUML compliance and adherence Global & Local Data Protection Networks framework. Our Board of Trustees provides short-term expert governance during our foundational years.
We are committed to operational accountability, careful data stewardship of family information, and the publication of independent annual impact reports beginning in our first full operating year.
Our Team
OHHI is led by a diverse team of healthcare professionals, researchers, community organizers, and people with lived experience of navigating healthcare systems. Together, we bring expertise in health equity, community engagement, organizational change, and family advocacy.