LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-One of the country’s tobacco buying and processing companies Alliance One Tobacco Malawi Limited on Tuesday donated various health related equipment worth MK2.4 million to the Mothers Fun Run Initiative being championed by Nation Publications Limited (NPL).
The donated equipment include a 5000 liter water-tank, five wheel-chairs and a patient monitoring parameter.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at NPL premises, Alliance One Tobacco Malawi Corporate Affairs Officer Ben Kawonga says the donation to this year’s Mothers Fun Run program is part of his company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs in the country which aims at improving the living standards of local communities.
According to Kawonga, his company’s CSR program mainly focuses on health, education, water and sanitation and climate change reduction among others, hence the Mothers Fun Run activity also goes in-line with one of its CSR thematic areas of health which primarily target at improving peoples’ health standards in the country.
“We thought it wise to come in and assist again to this year’s Mothers Fun Run initiative because we cannot leave everything in the hands of government to deal with all the challenges that are there in the local health sector, hence joining hands with NPL in donating these equipment to this good cause,” said Kawonga.
He however disclosed that this was the fifth time in a roll which his company has been donating towards the Mothers Fun Run annual activities.
In his remarks, NPL’s Business Development Manager Chimwemwe Jere commended Alliance One tobacco for their timely donation, saying it will go a long way in reducing some of the challenges which patients especially mothers and children face in hospitals when accessing medical services.
He also commended Alliance One for donating to the annual Mothers Fun Run initiave for five consecutive years, saying similar donation in the past have helped to improve the living standards of mothers and girls especially those based in the rural areas in many ways.
“As you might be aware the annual Mothers Fun Run initiative aims at improving the standards of heath care for both maternal and neonatal issues in the country’s public health facilities and this year we are targeting Ntcheu and Likoma public health facilities,” said Jere.
Mothers Fun Run is a project being championed by NPL which among others mobilizes for various medical supplies, equipment and assistance to improve both maternal and neonatal health care in the country’s hospitals and health centers.
For the first time since its inception some years ago, this year’s Mothers Fun Run activities will be targeting at improving the safe motherhood initiatives of two districts which is Likoma and Ntcheu.
Last year’s Mothers Fun Run initiatives benefited Ntchisi District where about 162 babies and 16 pregnant mothers were dying every month.
