Emmanuel Maliro only discovered he had one kidney after becoming seriously ill. This Saturday, his experience will drive a mountain climb in Blantyre as a group of walkers takes the fight for kidney health awareness to Michiru Mountain, hoping others can avoid learning about their condition the hard way.
The walk, organised by The Walkers Social Club in partnership with Mphukira Foundation, will start at 5am at HS Winehouse in Namiwawa, pass through Chilomoni and climb Michiru Mountain before returning to Namiwawa.
Maliro, who is receiving kidney treatment in the United States, founded Mphukira Foundation after discovering that he was born with one kidney, which has also been affected.
The Walkers coordinator, Ethel Kafumbwa-Mtilatila, said the group agreed to support the campaign because it wants people to understand kidney health before illness sends them to hospital.
“Our friend Emmanuel Maliro reached out to us to help in raising awareness of kidney health so that more people should be aware of the disease before they are on the hospital beds receiving treatment,” she said.
Kafumbwa-Mtilatila said the initiative fits the group’s objectives of promoting wellness, community engagement and charitable impact through walking and social events.
Maliro thanked The Walkers for joining the October campaign, which encourages groups to use activities they already enjoy to raise awareness about kidney health.
“This is not a fundraising activity. We are encouraging different groups to use something they already enjoy doing to help start conversations about kidney health,” he said.
Maliro, who runs the foundation alongside his wife, Dr Susan Brown, said kidney health often receives little attention until someone becomes seriously ill.
“For most of my life, I did not even know that I was born with only one kidney. I only discovered this when I became seriously ill. If I lived all those years without knowing, it is possible that many other people do not know either,” he said.
He urged people to learn about their kidneys and seek medical checks rather than wait until they develop serious problems.
Maliro said the campaign would only achieve its purpose if participants shared what they learnt with their families and communities after the walk.
“We do not want people to just walk or hike and go back home. We want them to finish their activity having learnt something about their kidneys that they had never thought about before,” he said.
Participants are expected to take photos and short videos during the walk and share them on social media as part of the October Kidney Awareness Campaign.
In December last year, The Walkers partnered with Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital’s Children’s Cancer Ward, raising about K50 million to support children receiving cancer treatment at the referral hospital.