Well wisher donates ambu-bikes to communities in Lilongwe

By Chimwemwe Njoloma – Mana.

A Malawian based in Texas has donated three bicycle ambu-bikes to communities of Lilongwe Mpenu Constituency, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mazengera In an effort to ease transportation challenges encountered by people in rural areas when accessing health services,.

The donation has been made under Sharp Valley Holdings, a Real Estate Agency geared to promote small companies as they help them to grow.

Making the donation on Friday, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and board member of Malawi Diaspora Network (MDN), Michael Matengula said the donation was made after learning that there was a great need to ease transportation challenges in the area.

He said the company decided to make the donation after their research showed that people of that area were longing for an Ambubike as they have to use wheelbarrows, Ox-carts and bicycles to transport patients.

“We were focusing on three areas, water, transport and energy solutions. After several consultations with people from this area and across the country, it showed that there was a great need of transport as mobility was a big challenge hence this donation,” Matengula said.

He said his company thought of using locally made machines made by Amaràvi metals to promote the company that was trying to find its establish market, hence the partnership.

The CEO said that, “One of our key areas is to promote upcoming companies because we know how hard it is for companies to build and sustain their businesses especially when they are new on the market. This is why we resorted to using a local brand as we meet the needs of the communities and helping the company too.”

He added that Malawians in Texas under Malawians in Texas Organisation (MITO) have joined the cause and are distributing the Ambu-bikes across the nation to make sure that each constituency owns one or two ambu bikes.

“MITO has so far reached out to nine districts in the southern region and two in the central region. I believe that soon we will no longer be discussing transportation challenges in health centers as afar as transporting people to clinics is concerned.

Receiving the donation, Chiefs Council for TA Mazengera hailed the initiative saying that it would go a long way changing people’s livelihoods in accessing medical attention.

He said it has been a sad scenario to see people being taken to hospitals on wheelbarrows and ox-carts because the health centers can not manage to provide the ambulance to each and every person requiring it.

Member of Parliament for the Area, Eisenhower Mkaka who is Minister of Foreign Affair and International Realations hailed Sharp Valley Holdings for the kind gesture.

He said an ambulance cannot be relied on to ferry patients to and from their homes because the demand for it is already high, hence the need for alternatives that would help people to still access health services at any time.

Mkaka called upon those living in diaspora not to get tired assisting the needy should resources permit them to do so.

Matengula said MDN has alot of plans in the pipe line meant to assist communities in different sectors and that will require people coming forward to provide them with information.

“If people are open to such donations, we are willing to assist. This will in turn help create a million jobs government has been championing and give small investors a conducive environment to grow,” he said.

Mana/cnn/jd/tha