Mother’s Fun Run, a Nation Publications Limited (NPL) safe motherhood initiative, will reach its climax in Chikwawa District tomorrow when the company and its partners will handover assorted medical equipment and supplies.
Speaking in an inter view yesterday, NPL spokesperson MacDonald Kadewa said the event will start with a three-kilometre fun run from St. Lawrence Girls’ Secondary School near Dyeratu Trading Centre to Chikwawa District Hospital.
(R) of Premier Foods Limited and Juliet Suliwa Kasito of Nchindi Investments admire a baby born during their sleepover at Mkumaniza Health Centre in Chikwawa District
He said: “Once at the hospital , selected representatives of partners will tour the maternity wing to appreciate the situation.
“Thereafter, we will go to the community ground where we will have speeches from partners and symbolic presentation of the equipment and supplies mobilised during by the initiative.”
Kadewa, who is NPL head of Business and Organisational Development, described this year’s activity as a success because they have surpassed target for resources for Chikwawa District Hospital and its satellite maternity facilities.
“We have surpassed our target of K300 million. This is mainly coming from our esteemed partners, these are both organisations and individuals and sleepover participants,” he said.
Kadewa said apart from mobilising financial resources, the sleep over challenge participants also raised the profile of the Mother’s Fun Run through their advocacy when they experienced the conditions of various public maternity facilities in the district.
Deputy British High Commissioner Oylmpia Wereko -Brobby was one of the sleep over challenge participants.
The diplomat said her experience at Gaga Health Centre in Chikwawa gave her a chance to appreciate that more needs to be done if maternal mortality is to be reduced.
Limbe Rotary Club president Reuben Kumwenda, who also led a team of men that participated in a sleepover challenge, said it was humbling to see the state of affairs in public health facilities.
“It was humbling and devastating in the same breath. And there was an element of hope as well because the healthcare workers were very committed to their jobs, but we saw that this did not have basics for them to do those jobs, so we thought it would be great for us to assist,” he said.
The NPL Mother’s Fun Run has been supporting maternity wings of public hospitals since 2005. The initiative has mobilised medical equipment and supplies for various hospitals nationwide.
