Callista bemoans lack of donors for her charity as Beautify Malawi takes control

Former First Lady Callista Mutharika said her chariry, which she formed soon after marrying the former head of state, late Bingu wa Mutharika, is still active but bemoaned lack of donors and publicity as the major set back.

Callista formed Callista Mutharika Safe Motherhood Initiative with pomp at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe soon after she became First Lady.

“My Foundation is still kicking but it does not get the publicity that it used to get because am no longer First Lady;” she said.

She said donors have also run away simply probably because Bingu wa Mutharika is dead and no longer in power.

“In Malawi it is politics. They help to get favours from the president,” said the former First Lady

. It is not known whether her predecessor Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri’s charity –Freedom Foundation – is still active.

Callista said she has not been able to meet the current First Lady Gertrude Mutharika, her sister in marriage who is running Beautify Malawi charity.

She said she would not interfere with her job.

Bad ties with JB

In a recent television interview, Callista said her relationship with the former head of state Joyce Banda was strained when the were at Hunger Project where Callista was chief executive officer and Banda was member of board of trustees.

“Bad blood yes, there was bad blood but let bygones be bygones;” she said.

She said Banda felt sidelined in crucial meetings like when the Hunger Project vice president came and she was not invited for dinner.

“She even wrote the vice president over the issue and he responded that he was too busy to meet her but she could not take that. So the problems started way back before I became First Lady,” she said.

On a lighter note, Callista said she proposed to 8ingu to maker her official hostess instead of becoming first lady said that time she was not ready to take another matrimonial vow. Her first husband died.

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