Kwatiwani (right) hands over the funds to Nation on Sunday Editor, Emmanuel Luciano
* Chief Human Capital Development Officer, Ivy Kwatiwani spent a night at Santhe Health Care Clinic on October 10
* It was a huge eye opener for her on the challenges that expectant mothers face in remote rural health care settings
* She appreciated firsthand the need to support investment in our health care systems, particularly for maternal and neonatal health
* Santhe Clinic had no tap water but just a borehole, and she and the other volunteers from the World Bank participated in the labourous task of drawing water throughout the night
By Duncan Mlanjira
Ivy Kwatiwani, Chief Human Capital Development Officer for CDH Investment Bank (CDHIB) accepted and completed the 2025 Nation Publication Limited (NPL) Mothers’ Fun Run sleepover challenge, and in turn the Bank has invested K10 million towards the initiative’s support for health care systems in Kasungu District.
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At the presentation of the cheque this morning at CDHIB head office in Blantyre, Kwatiwani explained that she was proud that the Bank has responded to the sleepover challenge fundraising appeal along with many others that have so far supported in cash.
“It is with great joy and a sense of responsibility that we partner to help our nation to develop,” said Kwatiwani, while emphasising that her first-hand experience in which she spent a night at Santhe Health Care Clinic on October 10 was a huge eye opener on the challenges that expectant mothers face in remote rural health care settings.
“I appreciated firsthand the need to support in the investment of our health care systems, particularly for maternal and neonatal health,” she said and highlighted that the Santhe Clinic had no tap water but just a borehole, and she and other volunteers from the World Bank participated in the labourous task of drawing water throughout the night.
“I don’t know why, but babies prefer to be born at night,” she joked, as an appreciation that the maternity health care providers work tirelessly around the clock to make sure baby deliveries are safe.
Sleepover challenges
She further explained that Santhe Clinic is over 40km to the nearest referral health facility and that on this particular night, two of the expectant mothers needed to be referred to better services at Kabudula Community Hospital — but Santhe Clinic has no ambulance services.
“I am proud that we as volunteers, contributed our own resources to transport the two patients to Kabudula Community Hospital because we found the need to do so,” she said. “It was such an exhilarating feeling the next day when we stopped over at Kabudula Community Hospital to find they had delivered two healthy babies.”
Kwatiwani also applauded a male sleepover volunteer, who represented the World Bank, saying such a gesture is rare and encouraged fathers to join the sleepover challenges going forward — “because the need to invest in maternity and other health care services is incumbent upon every citizen, just like the corporate one in CDH Investment Bank”.
“CDH Investment Bank is committed to supporting the well-being and development of the communities we serve. We are proud to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the mothers, families, and healthcare workers all over Malawi and this year Kasungu which is the region the challenge is raising funds for.
Some of men who have accepted the sleepover challenge
“Our contribution is not just about the provision of resources — it’s a symbol of our dedication to improving lives and ensuring that every mother, child, and patient receives the care they deserve.
“We believe that access to healthcare is a fundamental right, and we hope this contribution will make a meaningful difference in the lives of many,” she said, while applauding healthcare workers “for their unwavering commitment”.
“We salute the mothers and families for their strength and perseverance. Let us continue to work together in building healthier, stronger communities. We also applaud our partner, Nation Publications Limited for driving this challenge and helping our nation.”
She emphasised CDHIB is honoured to contribute to the partnership efforts “in providing quality healthcare services to those in need, appreciating the resilience of mothers everywhere, and the importance of caring for our families and communities”.
She also thanked the many who contributed towards her appeal for assistance on her social media fundraising platform, through which well-wishers were contributing using NPL bank details.
“I was proud by a feedback from a vendor, who indicated that he only humbly made a K2,000 contribution to the sleepover challenge cause. Let me thank him profoundly by encouraging him that the K2,000 was a whopping support as it encouraged others to also play their part.”
Kwatiwani summed it up by emphasising that no mother should lose their life during baby delivery because “giving birth is a sacred duty; giving birth is a national duty. There was a mother who decided to give birth, and that life is now the President of this country.
“There was a mother who decided to give birth, and that life is now leading CDH Investment Bank management, or is now a journalist, a health care worker — and many other professionals in the economic development of this country.”
Receiving the funds behalf of Nation Publications was Nation on Sunday Editor, Emmanuel Luciano, who expressed their profound appreciation towards CDHIB’s support, saying Kwatiwani and CDHIB admirably conquered the sleepover challenge that culminated to the K10 million investment.
“CDH Investment Bank has demonstrated the power of shared commitment towards mothers’ neonatal and other patients’ health care needs,” he said. “Mothers face huge antenatal and neonatal challenges because our health facilities solely rely on government support.
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“We, as citizens — corporate or individual — need to support the government to address some of these shortfalls; that is why NPL came up with the Mothers’ Day Fun Run Sleepover Challenges, for individuals to experience and appreciate first-hand the challenges faced by rural health centres.
“It’s an honour for every mother to give birth and we shouldn’t allow the maternal mortality rate by underprivileged citizenry to continue rising,” Luciano said, adding that the target this year is to raise at least K500 million for the safe motherhood promotion of Kasungu District Hospital and its satellite health facilities.
He indicated that the 2024 NPL Mother’s Fun Run initiative mobilised medical equipment and supplies valued at K382 million, which were donated to Chikwawa District Hospital and six of its referral health centres — Ngabu, Makhuwira, Ndakwera, Gaga, and Mapelera.
The equipment investment included delivery beds, patient monitors, caesarean sets, theatre lamps, wheelchairs, delivery packs, and examination gloves, among other — and according to Chikwawa safe motherhood coordinator, the equipment has significantly contributed to a sharp decline in maternal and neonatal deaths across the district.
Some of the equipment that was donated to Chikwawa District Health Office
