Vanguard Company joins Kambewa’s charity ride: Commits K300 000
All is set for cyclist Stewart Kambewa’s Vanguard Life Assurance cycle challenge from Blantyre to Lilongwe that will be undertaken on Saturday, September 8 as a charity event towards Nation Publication’s Limited’s 2018 Mothers Day Fun Run, a Safe Motherhood initiative and Vanguard Life Assurance Company donated K300,000 on Friday September 7 towards the cause.
So far, he undertakes the challenge having collected MK2.3 million after First Merchant Bank (FMB) pumped in MK2 million last month.
Kambewa, who shot to fame in 2016 by cycling 1,755kms from Nsanje to Chitipa in eight days to raise funds to build boreholes in selected parts of the country, targets to raise MK20 million and he said on Friday that other companies and organisations are yet to respond to his request letter.
Vanguard’s Marketing Manager for Group Business Ndamyo Mwakikunga said they were proud to be among wellwishers for this noble cause towards the wellbeing of the community, especially mothers.
“Our social responsibility policy covers this area of charity and we saw it fit to respond to Stewart’s request because this is a noble cause,” he said.
Mothers Day Fun Run is the Nation newspaper’s annual Safe Motherhood initiative which seeks to curb and reduce unnecessary maternal deaths across Malawi and this year’s will be held in Ntchisi in support of its district hospital and its sorrounding health centres.
Reports are that the Ntchisi District Hospital and its surrounding health facilities are facing many challenges, a situation which is putting people’s lives, especially pregnant women and newly-born babies at risk.
Spurred by this Safe Motherhood initiative, Kambewa decided to join the newspaper in raising the funds which The Nation targets to raise MK150 million from well-wishers.
Nation Publications’ Marketing Assistant Suzgo Mwantisi said so far the response for the whole event has been very positive and they have managed to raise over K70 million.
“We expect other wellwishers to follow suit before and after the main event in October because other organisations have also not yet responded to our request.
For the Blantyre Lilongwe cycle, Kambewa targets to raise MK20 million and FMB has set the ball rolling.
The Mothers Day Fun Run started in 2005 with Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital as the first beneficiary through equipment and drugs for the martenity wing.
In Ntchisi, they are targetting to assist the district hospital and its sorrounding 12 satellite health centre.
Kambewa said he is all geared for the ride, which has been divided in about 5 stretches;
Blantyre to Zalewa – 45km
Zalewa to Chingeni – 63km
Chingeni to Ntcheu – 36km
Ntcheu to Dedza – 70km
Dedza to Lilongwe – 88km
He has turn the kilometers and time covered along these five stretches into funds and Vanguard has chosen the 36km Chingeni to Ntcheu stretch.
Kambewa appealed to well-wishers to make their contributions even after he completes the task through Airtel Money 0993 090 000 and TNM Mpamba 0883 323 232 — both are NPL mobile money accounts and the funds are going direct to NPL.
He said for any enquiries, the potential sponsors can contact Albert on 0992 819 665 and Suzgo on 0999 959 064.
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