Madam Mary Chilima, the wife of Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima, delivered a speech today that honored Our AIM’s work with Masks4All Malawi in helping deliver 10,000 masks. We are so incredibly honored by the second lady’s remarks recognizing Our AIM’s effort to provide life-saving masks to the people of Malawi.“I’m truly honored by your presence this morning, as we prepare to receive a timely donation of cloth masks and fetal heart monitors. “[The year] 2020 has so far been a rollercoaster ride. As a country, we’ve had several highs, some of which allow me to stand here and address you. However, we haven’t been spared the low of the global pandemic of COVID-19. “The disease caused by coronavirus has spread across Malawi and we have lost loved ones, with many still sick both in and out of hospitals. No-one foresaw this, and thus many a government was caught unawares. As we speak, there is no guaranteed cure of COVID-19 and though there are various protocols for minimizing its damage and encouraging healing, the impact of this disease is still being uncovered everyday. “This is why we truly appreciate organizations that serve our communities during emergencies and in times of need through philanthropy and social impact interventions. These acts truly bolster the work of the government in addressing emergent scenarios such as the COVID-19 pandemic. “In this vein, I would like to start by thanking Our AIM foundation for the work it is doing in Mchinji District. Our AIM has developed a solar powered Holistic Community Center that comprises of a Women’s Empowerment Centre, an early childhood development center and a clinic. This Holistic Community Centre feeds children on a daily basis whilst teaching them some basic computer skills. I am also informed that Our AIM Foundation employs over 100 women tailors to sew sanitary pads and in line with the current pandemic, have now incorporated cloth masks for distribution within their community, thus offering the women gainful employment and COVID protection. Thank you Our AIM. “Masks4All was created in April this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a goal of producing at least 19 million masks for all Malawians. So far with various partnerships it has produced and distributed 5 million masks through the Ministry of Health and other recipients in the past three months alone. This is highly commendable. A byproduct of this initiative is the network of over 15,000 men, women and students that have been employed as tailors across the country thereby offering them an income. This, too, is deeply appreciated. “Today’s donation of 10,000 masks is a result of a partnership between Our AIM Foundation and Masks4All. However, In addition to this, we will also receive 40 fetal heart monitors, also known as Dopplers, through African Trust. Thank you African Trust. These will enable caregivers to hear fetal heart beats from a distance which during these COVID-19 times, [which] is critical in limiting the spread of the coronavirus. “I was encouraged to select a recipient of these dopplers and my preference was Bwaila hospital. Naturally, we all wanted to have this ceremony at Bwaila hospital so that we would have the opportunity to interact with the beneficiaries of these dopplers, and see them in action. However, COVID-19 preventative measures limit unnecessary visits to the hospital. I will therefore hand over the Dopplers to Bwaila Hospital representatives right here. “With regard to the 10,000 masks soon to be in my care, I intend to distribute these to needy students across the country in anticipation of a return to school. Please be assured that all donations will be well-documented for transparency. Please also be assured of my utmost gratitude for this timely donation. “We are all aware that our schools, airports and various other services were shut down in an effort to minimize the spread of this pandemic. Our economy has taken a hit as productivity is reduced and demand for certain goods and services has also reduced. COVID 19 has changed us all forever. We all want our schools to be reopened, we all want our businesses to flourish, we all want to gather freely and we all want to be able to bury our dead with dignity. In a nutshell, we all want this to end. “This and the many other restrictions that we are currently undergoing should therefore motivate each one of us to play our part in ridding Malawi of coronavirus. We have lost people to this virus and thousands are still sick. We are hopeful that the cases will decrease. However, we need to be prepared for any scenario. I now appeal to my fellow Malawians of goodwill to partner with organizations such as Masks4all by funding or providing materials for mask production so that they can indeed produce 19 million masks for all. “One mask costs K[wacha]500. Each person needs at least 2 masks for hygiene reasons. So for K1,000, you can donate to help mask Malawi. Support can be monetary or in the form of cloth, elastic tape sewing machines, soap hand sanitizer or buckets. The sooner we all help, the sooner it all ends. “Let us stand together against coronavirus, let us stand together against covid 19. Let us stand together and mask up Malawi. “I thank you for your attention. God bless us all.”