Aiming Higher in Malawi

We’re delighted to announce a £10,000 grant for Coatbridge High School and charity “Aiming Higher in Malawi”.

The funding from SCIAF will help 18 extremely poor women who care for disabled children setup their own tailoring business. The new sewing venture will make affordable school uniforms to sell in the local community of Mulanje in southwest Malawi.

The money from the sale of uniforms will help the women in the group provide for their children, and the low cost uniforms will benefit many more families and contribute to the local economy.

Coatbridge High School has a longstanding partnership with Aiming Higher in Malawi who transform the lives of young girls and disabled children through education and healthcare.

Aiming Higher in Malawi have also created libraries so Malawian school pupils can access books, something we here in Scotland may take for granted but which is incredible valuable to families living in poverty.

Extreme poverty in Malawi is a widedpread problem. In some places parents with disabled children live on less than 70p a day. They don’t have enough food to eat and every day is a struggle for survival. Disabled children are often hidden away and ignored.

We’re delighted to help Aiming Higher in Malawi and the great work they’re doing alongside Coatbridge High School and North Lanarkshire Council, to help disabled children get into school and take part in normal community life.

This morning our Director Alistair Dutton joined Charles Fawcett from Aiming Higher in Malawi and Provost Jim Robertson at Coatbridge High School to discuss the new project, and meet pupils and hear about their contribution to the project.

As well as fundraising for the charity pupils also take an active role in the projects, visiting Malawi, meeting and working directly with young people there.