After almost two months since the birth of her twins, 70-year-old Safina Namukwaya joyfully took her double bundle of joy home. The septuagenarian, who welcomed a boy and a girl in late November at the Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Centre in Uganda, was recently discharged, embracing her new role as a mother to twins.
In this remarkable chapter of her life, Namukwaya’s maternal love unfolds as a miracle, cradling her twins alongside Dr. Edward Tamale-Sali. The image of their hands holding not just babies but symbols of hope speaks to the enduring nature of a mother’s love, transcending both time and age. The Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Center Kampala shared the poignant moment on Facebook, highlighting the unblemished joy of motherhood and celebrating the resilient spirit of Africa where dreams are nurtured with love and care.
The 70-year-old proudly named her daughter Shakira Babiyre Nabagala and her son Kato Shafique Kangave, bestowing upon them names that carry the weight of their unique journey. This addition to the family has granted Namukwaya and her husband a new status in their rural village, where she is now affectionately known as Nalongo—a mother of twins, while her husband is referred to as Salongo—a father of twins.
Namukwaya’s journey to motherhood at 70 is marked by the use of in vitro fertilisation (IVF), a groundbreaking reproductive technology. Her successful IVF treatment, leading to the birth of her twins on November 29, 2023, places her among the oldest women in Africa to give birth. IVF involves the removal of an egg from the woman’s ovaries, fertilisation with sperm in a laboratory, and the subsequent implantation of the embryo into the woman’s womb for growth and development.
The twins’ arrival was not without challenges, as Namukwaya underwent a Caesarean Section for their delivery. Beyond the medical achievements, the hospital emphasizes that this story speaks to the strength and resilience of the human spirit.
In a candid interview with a Ugandan media outlet, Namukwaya shared that this was her second delivery in three years, following the birth of a baby girl named Sarah in 2020. Her journey, marked by complications and difficulties, including the departure of the father of her children, underscores the remarkable resilience and determination that define her path to motherhood.
