Barclays Bank digs deep for Red Cross

Oct 24, 2004

Decland Peppard who was the master of ceremonies at Friday’s Uganda Red Cross (URC) fundraising dinner and dance in aid of 3,000 plus expectant mothers in internally displaced camps did not mince his words when he said: “tonight our aim is to raise 75 million shillings.”

Decland Peppard who was the master of ceremonies at Friday’s Uganda Red Cross (URC) fundraising dinner and dance in aid of 3,000 plus expectant mothers in internally displaced camps did not mince his words when he said: “tonight our aim is to raise 75 million shillings.” It looked like he was asking for much, but he prevailed for at the end of the evening he managed to get guests to cough up sh72.5m.
The cause was a noble one. The money raised will go towards the Mama Kit appeal –– a kit, which costs a mere sh25,000 and contains surgical gloves, cotton sheets, wool, gauze rolls, razors, soap, cord ligatures and plastic receiving sheets.
The evening kicked off with a cocktail together with music and dance by a troop of Acholi dancers. Once the sumptuous dinner was out of the way, it was time to get down to business and Cecelia Lwanga, the team leader of volunteers at URC could not have summed it up better. She said: “we are not here to dine and dance, but to contribute to a noble cause.”
Once Peppard got the fundraiser underway, no sooner had he started than Robert Warlow, Managing Director of Crane Bank shot his hand up in the air and pledged sh1m. While the pledges did not shoot out with the same gusto like water from a fire brigade engine, they nevertheless came in after some cajoling from Peppard. New Vision pledged sh250,000, while utl, Standard Chartered Bank, AAR, Stanbic Bank, Roko, The Ladies Table (Morine Wavammuno, Camille Aliker, Yogi Birigwa, Angelica Wapahakubulo) House of Kaine and National Insurance Corporation all pledged sh1m each. KPMG gave sh500,000, MTN sh6m, Coca Cola sh5m and President Yoweri Museveni sh5m.
But it was Lillian Mwanda of Barclays Bank who took the evening. She pledged a staggering £10,000 (sh31m), a move that left the guests stunned by her generosity.
While Natasha Karugire, who is the URC goodwill ambassador was not able to make it, she nevertheless sent a message and said: “It saddens me to say that in Uganda today women die during child birth.”
Sylvia Aketch from Lira sub-county IDP camp along with Jane Acen from Irenda IDP camp, who were the chief guests, had this to say: “The men are idle so they are always having sex to keep them occupied,” to some laughter. On a more serious note, she added that many a time, expectant mums are left to the mercy of neighbours who do not have the skills.
There was also an auction of air tickets to Johannesburg by Kenya and South African Airways as well as a painting by former German Ambassador to Uganda, Klaus Holderbaum which was bought by Kobil for sh1m.
Should anyone wish to make a pledge towards the Mama Kit appeal, Uganda Red Cross Society are located on plot 28/30 Lumumbas Avenue.
Ends

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