MAGLA Donates 20 Million Malawi Kwacha towards Mothers Day Fun Run (MFR)

The Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Authority (MAGLA) has added K5 million to its earlier pledge of K15 million, raising its support for this year’s Mother’s Day Fun Run (MFR) to K20 million as the initiative marks its 20th anniversary.

MAGLA director general Rachel Mijiga said the increase was to honour Nation Publications Limited’s (NPL) two decades of work on safe motherhood.

“We had committed K15 million, but looking at the significance of this year, we have decided to increase it to K20 million, one million for each year that NPL has run this campaign,” she said.

Mijiga commended NPL for its role in improving maternal and neonatal health.

“Maternal mortality has dropped from 634 per 100 000 live births ten years ago to 225 today, while infant mortality has fallen from 34 to 29.4 per 1 000 live births. This did not happen in a vacuum. NPL has been there, mobilising partners and informing people,” she said.

She said resources raised through the Fun Run have provided hospitals with oxygen concentrators, delivery beds and suction machines.

“These interventions have strengthened rural health centres and contributed to a reduction in complications and deaths,” she said.

Receiving the donation, editor for The Nation newspaper Aubrey Mchulu thanked Magla for the continued support.

“On behalf of NPL’s board, management and staff, we are grateful. This 20-year journey has touched countless lives and shown the power of partnerships in saving mothers and babies,” he said.

MFR is NPL’s annual safe motherhood initiative that mobilises resources to equip health facilities with life-saving tools for mothers and babies during childbirth. This year the initiative targets Kasungu District Hospital and its satellite health centres.