They are used to telling other people’s stories, but this Mother’s Day, journalists put down their pens and recorders to make a difference in the lives of new mothers in Rumphi.
As part of its Mother’s Day celebrations, Nyika Media Club, a grouping of journalists based in the Northern Region, has donated items worth K3 million to mothers at Bolero Rural Hospital in Rumphi District.
The donation was made as part of the club’s Mother’s Day commemoration to support mothers and their newborn babies with food and other essential items.
The items included wrappers, squash drinks, soya pieces, sugar, mandasi flour and other basic necessities.
One of the beneficiaries, 23-year-old Joyce Moyo, who had just given birth to her third child, thanked the club for the donation.
Moyo said the items will help her care for herself and her baby, especially at a time when many families are struggling to meet their basic needs.
Bolero Rural Hospital Medical Assistant Ruth Munthali said the facility recorded five deliveries on the day of the donation and handles an average of 80 deliveries every month.
Munthali welcomed the support, saying it will help mothers at the facility. However, she identified limited space in the maternity ward as one of the hospital’s major challenges.
Nyika Media Club Vice President Clementina Ponderani said journalists should go beyond reporting problems in their communities and take practical steps to help people.
Ponderani said the donation shows how journalists could contribute to improving the lives of people in need.
The initiative was supported by the club’s patron, Counsel Victor Gondwe, Universal Industries Limited and Rumphi Central Member of Parliament Dr Mathews Mtumbuka.
Nyika Media Club brings together journalists, media professionals and scholars in Malawi’s Northern Region.