Football Association of Malawi (FAM) in partnership with Ecobank has donated a Ford Ranger twin cab vehicle with a trailer worthy K14 million to the Association of People with Albinism (APAM).

The donation ceremony of the vehicle, which was procured with proceeds from the 2019 Ecobank Charity Shield bonanza was made on Thursday at Mpira Village in Blantyre.

APAM National Coordinator Overstone Kondowe expressed gratitude over the gesture saying it will ease the operational challenges especially on rescue missions of their members in hard to reach areas.

FAM contributed K9 million while the two participating teams, Nyasa Big Bullets and Be Forward Wanderers, forfeited their K1 million allocations for their own charitable events towards the purchase of the vehicle.

Speaking during the official handover, FAM President Walter Nyamilandu, said the donation is a proof that football remains a great tool for solving social and economic challenges in the country.

Nyamilandu said: “It feels good that we are capable of achieving bigger things with football and this donation proves that apart from providing wholesome entertainment, it can help to solve social ills.”

He also praised Ecobank and the participating teams for their support in the entire Charity Shield event.

Ecobank Head of Commercial and Consumer Banking, Victoria Chanza, hailed all the stakeholders for making the project a success in reaching out to the less privileged.

Under the theme ‘One Love stop the killings’ this year’s shield took place at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on March 30 and 31 and was participated the eventual winners Nyasa Big Bullets, Mighty Be Forward Wanderers, Blue Eagles and Masters Security Football Clubs.

The Charity Shield, which is the Malawi’s Football season opener, is FAM’s flagship Corporate Social Responsibility Programme which started in 2016.