A cousin to the late President Sam Nujoma remembers him as a family-orientated man who not only looked out for the nation but for his family as well. 

nbc News sat down with 71-year-old Christina Kavezembi-Kondombolo at the family house in Katutura.

Kavezembi-Kondombolo is the daughter of Hiskia Sino Kondombolo, brother to Nujoma’s mother, Meekulu Helvi Kondombolo.

The Founding President left for exile when she was only five years old, and she would hear about him on the radio and read about him in the newspapers.

When he came back from exile, Dr. Nujoma, Kavezembi-Kondombolo recalled, requested to meet all his family members, where they shared a meal and made jokes.

Over the years, he made time for family events or delegated someone to attend when he was not available.

“He was a loving person, and he always had others at heart. When anything happened in the family, he would send someone to stand with us. When we did not tell him what was happening in the family, it always made him unhappy. He always wanted to know what was happening in our lives.”

Kavezembi-Kondombolo also recalled how Dr. Nujoma was a health advocate and would encourage them to stay healthy.

“He was a healthy man. There was a time we visited his home for an eat-out as a family, and we were drinking Coke. He then poured Coke into a glass and placed a penny inside the glass. The penny came out clean, and he showed its effects on the body and alcohol abuse. He would also tell us to run; we were given kilometres, small-bodied people would get about 5 km, and those who were a little bit bigger would get 10 km.”

She said her cousin Nujoma’s contributions to the country’s independence cannot go unnoticed.

“I respect him for the contributions he made to this country; he went into exile alone, and those who felt like following him did so. That is why we should respect him for his big heart, and the fact that he decided to go into exile and fight for the country. He left his family, parents, and siblings to go and fight for the land; it is not an easy decision for one to make.”