This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Money to help Malawi
04/11/2005
Scotland's government is to provide £2.4 million to projects that will save and improve the lives of people in Malawi.
The money is part of The International Development Fund which distributes £3 million a year to helping some of the world's poorest people. Today's announcement is the first money to be distributed from the fund.
Minister with responsibility for International Development Patricia Ferguson said:
"The people of Scotland must stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Malawi and I am determined that we do all we can to help.
"Today's funding will help thousands of people find sustainable solutions to these problems.
"It will help train teachers, improve hospitals and provide education opportunities for farmers. More than that, I am convinced the projects will save many lives."
The total amount of funding announced today is £4.3 million. Of that, £2.4 million will go to projects in Malawi, including:
- Sustainable Utilisation of Aquatic Resources for Poverty Reduction, Malawi - Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling. This project will empower local communities with relevant education, awareness and practical knowledge to make their farming and fishing more sustainable and productive. They will do this by sharing Scottish expertise, through an internationally renowned Institute (at Stirling) to provide training to support aqua-culture in Malawi. There are good existing links with Malawi Institutes and this work follows a feasibility study by the University of Stirling funded by Department for International Development. Total Funding - £247,000 over three years.
- Reducing Maternal and Infant Mortality, Malawi - University of Strathclyde. This project aims to achieve measurable reductions in major causes of disease and death in a cluster of villages within the Chikwawa District of Malawi alongside improving the hospital environment for the good of both staff and patients. They will provide a range of interventions, including basic health training to health workers and better facilities at the local hospital. Total Funding - £166,000 over three years.
- Scotland/Malawi Partnership - The University of Strathclyde. The Partnership's overarching goal is to reduce and relieve poverty in Malawi and contribute to sustainable social and economic development. Total Funding - £103,000 over three years.
- Empowering communities to provide high quality care for people living with HIV, Malawi - Tearfund UK. To reduce the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections amongst at risk groups in Malawi and reduce the impact of AIDS on affected individuals, families and communities unable to cope. Total Funding - £251,000 over three years.
The rest of the money will go to projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and Sri Lanka, including:
- Educational Capacity Building, Sudan - SCIAF. To contribute to rebuilding the shattered educational system in Kajokeji County, southern Sudan, giving war-affected children the chance to attend school and hence hope for the future (by providing basic teaching materials, teacher training and incentives, school management supervision, recruitment of more female teachers, promoting community ownership (combating dependency), and peace education in schools and community. Total Funding - £190,000 over three years.
- Orphanage Project, Sri Lanka - Scotland's Buddhist Vihara. The establishment of an orphanage for 20 'at risk' boys, orphaned by the Tsunami, which will nurture their development into an age of responsibility. Total Funding - £85,000 over three years.
Full breakdown of funding allocations