LILONGWE—If you thought Pres Joyce Banda was the only individual who cared about safe motherhood, think again.

Malawi Institute of Journalism (MIJ) students will August 24th make a donation to Maganga maternity clinic in the lakeshore district of Salima.

Memory Ngosi, president of the students union, said they chose Maganga clinic because it lacked resources.

“The first time I went there, I felt pity to see that the clinic lacks a lot of materials especially in the maternity ward. For example, there is no sterilizing machine instead they are using charcoal burner (mbaula) for sterilizing syringes,” Ngosi said.

She and fellow students decided to help and organised a big walk which raised K50, 000.

The students will donate thermometers, a delivery set, baby clothes, mosquito nets, soya flour and a scale.
Safe motherhood is Pres Banda’s signature issue.  Ranked second from Sierra Leone in Africa with the highest number of maternal deaths, Banda wants that statistic to change.

“As a government we are determined to change the situation and…declare that no woman should die of maternal complications,” Banda has said.

She has urged organisations and the private sector to support safe motherhood in the country.

“Let’s join hands in this drive to support our mothers.”

The MIJ students heeded that call.
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The author is student at MIJ.©2012 The Maravi Post. Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment.