Listen
Funding for development in Malawi
07/02/2008
The Scottish Government's ongoing commitment to improving the lives of the people of Malawi has been reinforced through allocations of £677,775 for programmes in Malawi.
The funding was announced by Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture Linda Fabiani today, as she prepares to visit Malawi for the first time since taking office.
The funding awarded is from the Government's International Development Fund which provides support to people in some of the poorest countries in the world. The Scottish Government has pledged to double the fund to £9 million over the term of this Parliament and has committed a minimum of £3 million a year to Malawi.
The latest allocations follow discussions with the Government of Malawi and will enable work to continue across all four areas of the Co-operation Agreement: civil society development, sustainable economic development, health and education.
During her visit, the Minister will meet ministerial colleagues in the Government of Malawi and visit some of the projects funded by the International Development Fund.
Ms Fabiani, who leaves for Malawi on Saturday, said:
"I am looking forward to seeing at first-hand the very effective work already being supported by the Scottish Government and delivered by many Scottish organisations and professionals during my visit to Malawi."
"Today's funding will strengthen healthcare provision, support the training of teachers, provide assistance to families affected by HIV and AIDS and enable vital support for street children. I am convinced these projects will not only improve the lives of many vulnerable people but also help strengthen services in the longer-term.
"In meeting with the Malawian Government I will personally reaffirm the Scottish Government's commitment to working with Malawi, discuss progress on current commitments and identify further priorities for funding. The relationship between our two countries is very special and I look forward to further strengthening our links"
The projects receiving funding include:
- Leadership in Nursing in Malawi (£70,000)
The Royal College of Nursing will be supported to work in partnership with the National Organisation for Nurses and Midwives in Malawi to strengthen its capacity as a professional organisation. Training and mentoring for health service managers in Malawi will also be provided by Edinburgh's Queen Margaret College along with the Royal Colleges and Edinburgh University to support the professional development of health care professionals.
- Clinical Training - Scotland Malawi Mental Health Programme; Scotland Malawi Anaesthesia Training Programme; Scotland Malawi Pathology Programme (£90,000)
This award will enable the extension of three specific programmes which support teaching and diagnostic services in mental health, anaesthesia and pathology as well as helping - in the case of anaesthesia training - to reduce maternal and child deaths.
- Care and Support to People affected by HIV and AIDS (£50,000)
Further support will enable the extension of an Oxfam programme that has been supported by the Scottish Government to support HIV and AIDS-affected families by promoting low-cost, labour-saving and environmentally friendly agriculture technologies and providing home-based healthcare.
- Malawi School Improvement Programme (£200,000)
Link Community Development will be supported to build on the existing programme to help local education staff to train and support teachers and improve performance in school management and governance and in teaching and learning methodologies. The project will benefit 480 schools, around 3,360 teachers and 230,000 pupils in the Dedza and Mulanje districts.
- Vocational and Skills Training for Former Street Children (£50,000)
This support will enable Tearfund to extend their current programme to provide street children with the skills and vocational training to enable them to work themselves out of poverty.
- Microfinance Programme (£135,000)
Working through the Opportunity International Bank of Malawi, Opportunity International (OI) will be supported to extend their operation in providing loans, savings and insurance to some of the country's poorest communities in Northern Malawi, focusing on those who are excluded from the financial system and helping as many as 50,000 people. The Scottish Government's commitment will also enable OI to access an additional £415,000 of funding from the European Union.
- Support for Malawian Civil Society (£62,775)
This project builds on an existing relationship between SCVO and CONGOMA (Council for Non-Governmental Organisations in Malawi) to strengthen CONGOMA's capacity to support and develop the NGO sector in Malawi.
- Developing Sustainable Utilisation of Aquatic Resources (£20,000)
This award will enable the University of Stirling to build on its work with the University of Mzuzu, Bunda College and the Natural Resources College to extend the existing programme into communities through increased targeting of technicians, extension workers and farming and fishing communities. It will also encourage stronger links between academic institutions, schools and those employed in relevant income-generating activity.
The allocations to these projects are funded from the existing International Development budget 2007/08 and are based on existing policy commitments.
David Livingstone (1813-1873) was the inspiration for Scotland's modern-day relationship with Malawi. A Co-operation Agreement between Scotland and Malawi was signed on November 3, 2005.
In August 2007, External Affairs Minister Linda Fabiani announced that the IDF was to be doubled, reaching £9 million over the life of the Parliament, with a minimum £3 million of that committed to Malawi.