Malawi President Banda, US charity leaders sync on ‘live to love’

President Joyce Banda on Wednesday met the co-founders of the 100X Development Foundation in New York. The meeting was among many other bilateral meetings and events with investors, world leaders and philanthropic organizations that the President will have ahead of attending the UN General Assembly next week.

The 100X Development Foundation is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that leverages resources for sustainable development. The co-founders are a couple, Lindy and John Blanchard.

Established in 2004, 100X endeavour to bring sustainable development to communities through education, health, economic development, agriculture, food security, and social services in seven countries—India, Malawi, Mexico, Moldova, Peru, Uganda and the United States.

President Banda and Lindy Blanchard: Sharing notes.-Photo credit State House press office

According to State House Press Officer, Tusekele Mwanyongo, the President and Co-founder of 100X Development Foundation, Lindy, and her husband, briefed President Banda on their charity activities in Malawi and what they intend to do further to help the government eradicate some of the social problems affecting the people.

“The 100X Development Foundation has provided shelter and nurture to vulnerable children in Malawi. They set up and support an orphanage called ‘Mtendere Village’ where they seek to ensure that orphans and vulnerable children receive life-saving shelter, education and training for a more hopeful future,” he said, adding that they have pledged to establish a secondary school on the campus.

Mwanyongo explained that the Blanchards also briefed the President on their efforts to help eradicate hunger and malnutrition in Malawi, realizing that malnutrition is a major contributor to maternal health problems and reduces physical and mental development during childhood.

The 100X Development Foundation is also working with government, nonprofit and academic partners to develop the ‘Live to Love’ maternal health programme.

Issues of maternal health and safe motherhood come very close to the President’s heart and she was therefore very keen to listen to what the Blanchards had in store for Malawi in this area, according to the press aide.

Under the ‘Live to Love’ project, 100X Development Foundation intends to reduce maternal mortality through training and nutrition for pregnant mothers and offer support to midwives and community healthcare workers as they respond to the needs of mothers in areas where obstetric care is limited. Coordination of this programme is at Blessings Hospital in Lumbadzi.

100X Development Foundation also intends to utilize its links with various universities in the USA to help Malawian students get scholarships for higher learning as they realize that the University of Malawi currently does not have the capacity to take more than 2,000 students.

Among some universities in the USA that 100X Development Foundation works with are Auburn, Ball State, Texas State University, Tuskegee and the University of Alabama.

President Banda and Lindy Blanchard exchanging gifts.-Photo credit State House

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
Read previous post:
DPP demands beds returned to Mponela: ‘Don’t drag Muthalika in the saga’

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) says its acting president Peter Mutharika should not be dragged in the Mponela Hospital...

Close