By 6am today, roads around Chikwawa Boma will come alive as Nation Publications Limited (NPL) employees, partners and well-wishers run for a cause that goes beyond fitness.
It’s the Mother’s Fun Run (MFR)—a race not just for glory but for life itself.
This is the climax of efforts to raise K300 million to equip Chikwawa District’s struggling health facilities with life-saving medical equipment.
In an interview yesterday, NPL spokesperson MacDonald Kadewa could not hide his anticipation.
“We are ready! This year’s MFR, like in previous years, provides a beacon of hope to mothers and their newborns.
“After the run, our strategic partners will tour Chikwawa District Hospital maternity wing to appreciate challenges these mothers face,” he explained.
In a recent interview, Chikwawa district director of health and social services Dr Grace Momba and safe motherhood coordinator Nyson Sekani painted a sobering picture of the dire state of healthcare in the district.
“Most of our health centres are in desperate need of equipment. Basic tools such as blood pressure machines are scarce, and some facilities, like Gaga and Chang’ambika, are not even connected to electricity. On top of that, we are facing severe water and sanitation issues,” explained Momba.
Adding to these difficulties are the relentless natural disasters that have ravaged Chikwawa. Roads, bridges and even walls of health facilities cracked, leaving the district’s healthcare system hanging by a thread.
Today’s event is about more than just raising money—it is also about raising awareness.
After the fun run and the tour, speeches will echo across the grounds, with strategic partners reflecting on the importance of this cause and their support.
The day will culminate in a symbolic yet profoundly meaningful moment as NPL board chairperson Masankho Banda will hand over medical equipment to Chikwawa district commissioner Nardin Kamba.
“This equipment is the result of a thorough assessment we conducted in collaboration with Chikwawa District Health Office,” Kadewa noted. “Our strategic partners have been incredibly generous, and today, we get to see the impact of that support.”
Since its launch in 2005, MFR has been the heart of NPL’s commitment to safe motherhood. What began with Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital has now expanded into a national movement, transforming maternity care in some of the country’s most underserved areas.
And, in Chikwawa today, as per revised programme, the 3.5-kilometre race is on from Zonse Villa to the district hospital, and with it, the hope that no mother or child will be left behind.
