MALAWI: Man Raises K1.1 Million After 18-Day Fundraising Walk

By Smile Hamilton

A 36-year-old man, Quimbo Godfrey Magombo, who embarked on an estimated 18-day walk from Lilongwe to Nkhata Bay via the Lakeshore Road to raise between K40 million and K50 million, says he has managed to raise only K1.1 million.

Magombo confirmed to African Culture TV that he arrived in Nkhata Bay on Friday as part of his fundraising mission aimed at supporting a 23-year-old man, Blessings Mtegha, who was diagnosed with a tumour on his spinal cord at Mzuzu Central Hospital.

Speaking after completing the walk, Magombo said that although the amount raised was far below the target, he remains grateful for the support received from well-wishers along the journey. “The response was not what we expected financially, but I am thankful to everyone who contributed in any way. The mission was about saving a life,” he said.

Magombo added that the funds raised will go towards medical consultations and other associated costs as the family continues to seek possible treatment options outside Malawi. “This journey has shown me that people still care, even if they have very little to give,” he said.

Blessings’ grandmother, Phillipina Mtegha, said the family has been struggling with the condition for years. She explained that when Blessings was six years old in 2010, Mzuzu Central Hospital indicated that the tumour was too small to be operated on at the time.

However, she said in 2023 the hospital informed the family that the tumour had grown too large to be operated on in Malawi. “We were told there is nothing more that can be done here, and that broke our hearts,” said Mtegha.

She appealed for continued support from the public, saying the family still hopes to find help for Blessings’ treatment abroad. “We are grateful for what has been raised so far, but the need is still very b

ig,” she said.