The Walkers Social Club, a group of diverse professionals who are involved in fitness walks every Saturday launched their group in style at the weekend with a 22.45-kilometre fun walk and a donation of various medical items to Thyolo District Hospital.
The Walkers group with more than 150 members started their morning walk from Thyolo District Hospital from as early as 6am to Makwasa, clocking 22.45 kilometres. With a rescue vehicle in tow, Walkers who could not make it to the end point, jumped into the vehicle up to the finish point, others managed to walk the entire 22.45 kilometres.
There were fun scenes during the walk which also saw two young Walkers below 12 years old taking part while creating a platform for networking, social bonding and a culture of wellness.
The Walkers Social Club President, Felix Wisdom Banda, said the initiative goes beyond personal wellbeing as it contributes to community development.
“The initiative blends fitness and charity. After the walk, we made a donation to Thyolo Hospital, ensuring that our efforts benefit the community in a tangible way,” said Banda.
He further said the initiative not only promoted fitness but also strengthened the bond between individuals and the communities they serve, marking a new chapter in the culture of wellness in Malawi.
The event concluded with an official launch ceremony at KUHES, headlined by a live performance from the popular Mighty Mibawa Band.
Speaking at the launch event, Guest of Honour and Vice Chairperson of Capestars Rachel Mijiga hailed The Walkers group for the initiative hence their sponsorship of K5 million towards the launch.
“We are grateful to the support that we get from The Walkers group for our homegrown brand Capestars. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child, Capestars has received that support and as a brand we are very grateful, hence our contribution of MK5 million towards the Walkers launch and donation at Thyolo District Hospital to give back to society,” said Mijiga.
Patron of the Walkers Professor Frank Taulo said he was happy that the group has been launched and has spread to other parts of the country.
“Our aim is to be in all the districts in the country including Likoma. Walking and physical exercise have now become a lifestyle and we need to embrace this lifestyle so that we should be healthy mentally and physically while networking and offering each other business opportunities,” said Taulo.
One of the Walkers, on his maiden walk, Gerald Zamadunga expressed joy at joining the group and said he enjoyed the walk.
“I really enjoyed my time today and I will be taking part in the activities of this group especially helping the communities and networking for business opportunities,” said Zamadunga.
Another Walker, Almateen Mussa said he was happy that the group has grown and launched in style.
“This is awesome; we started humbly but now everyone wants to be part of this group because of the benefits of being physically fit and networking,” said Mussa who is logistics business.
The Walkers group walks every Saturday morning from 5 am after members agree and vote on a route and it has spread to Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Zomba, Salima and Mangochi.
Apart from Capestars, several companies and organisations supported the Walkers launch and hospital donation and these include; National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc, First Capital Bank (FCB), NBS Bank, Nali Limited, The Thomson and Barbra Mpinganjira Foundation and several individuals.
