Online Reporter
Trust Freddy-Herald Correspondent
In a world obsessed with titles, people often forget that the most meaningful acts of bravery do not require a uniform.
True heroism does not demand a medical degree, a stethoscope, or a seat at the head of a boardroom.
Often, it requires nothing more than a willing arm and the quiet discipline of showing up.
Enter Julian Buss.
At 74 years old, Mr Buss has achieved a feat that sits at the very pinnacle of civic duty.
He is arguably one of the first Zimbabweans to reach the milestone of 300 lifetime blood donations — a record built drop by drop over nearly five decades.
The society is conditioned to believe that “saving a patient” is the exclusive domain of the elite — the surgeons, the specialists, the miracle workers in white coats.
But Julian Buss’s story flips that script.
If blood is the currency of life, Julian Buss stands as one of the nation’s greatest philanthropists.
“I was 25 years old when I started donating as a regular donor, and that stopped when I turned 70,” he said this during a ceremony held by the NBSZ in Harare on Tuesday.
“There is a regulation that says after 70 you cannot donate anymore, so that was in July 2022 when I stopped.”
The event was organised to honour his milestone of 300 blood donations — a heroic feat that has saved countless lives.
When Buss walked into a donation centre for the first time in 1977 at the age of 25, he was not looking to make history.
He was just a young man following a group of colleagues from work.
“We started as a group from work, about five or six of us. One of the guys had been donating for years, and we just joined in.”
What separates a hero from a passerby is consistency.
For 45 years, Buss made his way to the National Blood Services Zimbabwe (NBSZ) with the clockwork precision of a heartbeat.
Even with a historic milestone under his belt, Buss stays grounded, insisting that the lives saved are the only metric that truly matters.
“It is about trying to help and doing what you can. You do not know where the blood is going or who is receiving it, but you know you are making a difference,” he added.
However, this legacy continues through other local Zimbabweans, some of whom have clocked more than 140 donations to date.
Mr Tichaona Saira, another dedicated donor who began donating blood in 1982 at the age of 19 currently stands at 144 donations.
“I donate blood at least three times a year, sometimes I do so six times. I hope to continue doing so until I hit 65 years.”
Professor Takafira Mduluza who has reached 117 donations said: “So far, I have reached 117 donations. I started donating blood long back when I was an upper sixth student at Chinhoyi High School,” he said.
“There are a lot of accidents happening every day, and blood is lost through those accidents and childbirth. For those people to be saved, there is need for blood donations.”
NBSZ CEO, Ms Lucy Marowa said such dedication serves as a blueprint for the younger generation.
“Our young blood donors have something to aspire to. When we have advocates for blood donation, we can build a sustainable National Blood Programme with no shortages. We need to build a safe blood supply through regular blood donations,” she said.
“People come in, not once, not twice, but all the time to donate blood.
“It takes time and commitment to donate blood 300 times. It’s encouragement to every donor who has said such a lifestyle is possible.”
