Top lawyer Soko to sleep rough at rural clinic to expose Malawi’s maternal health crisis

A leading Malawian lawyer is set to swap his comfortable home for a night on the floor of an under-resourced rural health centre — all in a bold bid to shine a light on the desperate conditions mothers and medical staff endure across the country.

Khumbo Bonzoe Soko, a private practice lawyer and former president of the Malawi Law Society, will spend the night of 27 September 2026 at Mpherembe Health Centre as part of a daring personal fundraising mission dubbed the “Sleepover Challenge.”

The stunt forms part of Nation Publications Limited’s flagship Mothers’ Fun Run initiative, which this year has set its sights on 25 health facilities under the Mzimba North District Health Office — including Mpherembe, Ekwendeni and Mapale.

Speaking candidly about his motivation, Soko admitted it was all too easy for people in positions of privilege to overlook the realities faced by ordinary Malawians battling to access basic healthcare.

“I want to experience first hand the difficulties that fellow Malawians experience in accessing health care,” he said. “It’s easy to be dismissive of these initiatives from the comfort of our homes, but getting closer to where the need actually is gives us a fresh perspective.”

His extraordinary gesture has won the full backing of the powerful Mzimba Heritage Association (Mziha), where Soko himself serves as Secretary General — lending significant weight and influence to the campaign.

In a statement issued yesterday, Mziha threw its support behind the initiative, urging Malawians far and wide to dig deep for the cause.

“Mziha strongly encourages members of the public, the local business community and all subjects of His Majesty the King to contribute to this noble cause,” Soko said.

The association has also called on the public to get behind the Sleepover Challenge itself, insisting it lays bare the grim reality faced daily by mothers and overstretched health workers in facilities lacking even basic resources.

NPL’s Head of Business and Organisational Development, McDonald Kadewa, hailed Mziha’s backing as a major boost for the campaign, pointing to the association’s deep influence among communities across Mzimba North.

He said the partnership hands local people a genuine stake in tackling the very problems affecting their own health facilities.

“We are excited and delighted that Mziha is taking ownership of the initiative because we are fundraising and mobilising support for communities that are the beneficiaries,” Kadewa said.

“We believe other cultural groupings will emulate this example and take an active role in addressing challenges facing their communities.”