Huawei Managing Director Gao Fei has urged Ugandans to join this year’s MTN Kampala Marathon in big numbers in order to improve the maternal health and babies’ health care in Uganda.

Gao had just handed over their contribution of sh280m towards this year’s event to Sen Somdev the Chief Marketing Officer MTN Uganda at Huawei offices on Tuesday. The run slated for November 20 after a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like previous editions, the 17th edition of the annual run returns with the same cause of supporting and improving maternal health, under the theme; ‘Running for babies.

Huawei managing Director Gao Fei (left) receives MTN Kampala Marathon kit from Somdev Sen, the Chief Marketing Officer MTN Uganda as Account Director Tang Dongling (right) looks on

Proceeds from this year will be used again to upgrade maternal and newborn facilities and health centers across Uganda.

“We congratulate MTN Uganda for launching this year’s marathon and in a special way thank the media for effectively giving the publicity that rallies many Ugandans to participate and join the cause. I welcome you all to this year’s edition which everyone is looking forward to,” Gao said

He said Huawei has participated in the MTN Marathon since 2012 which has had various themes like; run for life, run for water, and run for maternal care.  

“This contribution aligns with our slogan: “a better you for a better Uganda”. We have come out to continue sponsoring this marathon with sh280m; we are sure that with this contribution Uganda can only become a better place for the mothers and the babies we are running for this year,” Gao stated.

Huawei staff go through an aerobic session as part of their preparations for the MTN Marathon at their offices at Kisementi, November 1 2022. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

He said the marathon helps companies and individuals’ bond with each other and thanked MTN for doing activities that are for a good cause and ones that ‘create a big positive impact to the society’.

Somdev thanked Huawei for their kind gesture and renewed interest in the marathon as well as their amazing sincerity and partnership that has seen them walk with them in every journey.

“The future lies in the hands of the young ones and at MTN we believe that through the marathon we will be able to contribute to that very important cause of Uganda’s growth by supporting the health centers and ensuring that babies that are born across these healthy centers are born better in these facilities,” Somdev said.

“Huawei is also going to run for babies and their contribution will technically help us to revamp some of the health centers in Kawaala, Kisenyi, Kabong and in Kacumbali.

“But this is still a drop in the ocean. There is still too much to do and MTN cannot do it alone but with partners like Huawei their contribution can help to a certain extent. My request to every Huawei employee and all media partners and the general public is to back up, stop eating too much, prepare your sneakers and running shoes; let’s get running,” Somdev stated. 

“Let’s run for the babies; the babies are the future of Uganda; this will not change the future completely but this will keep on contributing to the betterment of society gradually like we have done over the last 14 years. Let’s make the MTN Marathon 2022 a very big success,”

Huawei staff were later taken through an aerobic session by Sukuma Dance Fitness as part of their preparation for the marathon.

Runners in the 5 and 10km race which is billed at sh40,000/- can instead pay sh30,000/- through MOMO pay. The 42 and 21km race is billed at sh20,000/- while the 10km wheelchair and children can buy the running kit at sh10000 and sh5000 respectively through Mobile Money.

Corporate registrations options include entering a team of 6 people at a fee of sh1.05m to compete in the corporate challenge (with no tent at Kololo) while the other option is registering 2 teams at sh2.1m or three teams at sh3.15m with a 100-people (seater tents).