Illovo Sugar (Malawi) plc has committed K100 million towards the response efforts in dealing with the COVID–19 pandemic.
The funds will be used for the rehabilitation of the Nkhotakota District Hospital Isolation Centre and Chikwawa Kasinthula Isolation Centre as well as the purchase of emergency medical equipment such as hospital beds, oxygen concentrators, and oxygen cylinders, patient monitors amongst other items.
The items will also be donated to Chikwawa District Hospital, Nkhotakota District Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital.
“Following the appeal for assistance to the private sector by President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, Illovo as an important player in the economy felt obliged to respond positively.
“Our response to the State President’s appeal is in addition to our own ongoing internal campaign tagged ‘’COVID-19: IT’S IN OUR HANDS which was launched in April 2020,” said Lekani Katandula, Managing Director for ILLOVO Malawi.
Katandaula said through this campaign Illovo has distributed over 100,000 masks to employees, their dependents and communities surrounding the company’s estates.
“We hope that our contribution as well as those of many others from the private sector will in some way help to ease the financial burden which the government is facing in its efforts to fight this pandemic,” he said.
This contribution is also in addition to a sum of K70 million donated during the first wave of the pandemic which was spent in providing support to medical personnel and district hospitals in Chikwawa, Dwangwa and Blantyre. Illovo also supported Blantyre city council with awareness material.
