From humble beginnings, Livingstone left an indelible mark on Africa

Apr 2 2009 By Joan Sutherland of the David Livingstone Centre

TO answer the question of why people in South Lanarkshire should preserve the name of David Livingstone, you only have to look at an atlas.

One of the south-west African state of Malawi’s main centre of population is Blantyre and the same country has a town named Livingstonia.

There’s also a city of Livingstone in Zambia and a 30-foot statue of Livingstone in Zimbabwe.

There are similar reminders of the great man across Africa.

People there celebrate his name because from humble beginnings, he left an indelible mark on the continent.

His story begins in Blantyre, Scotland, where cotton production developed into a huge industry.

From 1785, Scots displaced during the Highland Clearances found themselves homeless and usually penniless and flocked to the safety of Blantyre with its surrounding countryside and good fresh water.

Among the influx of families were the Livingstones and David Livingstone was a product of the town and of hard-working, decent people.

His day in the mill consisted of 14 hours labour then two hours of schooling late at night. Travelling evangelists inspired him to think of others, far away and this encouraged him to study continuously to ensure he was ready to fulfil his vocation.

His application to middle-class Anderston College, in Glasgow, would probably have caused consternation.

After all, here was a mill boy, thinking he was good enough to rub shoulders with the cream of society.

However, he went on to prove he was worthy of his place in that company and armed with his medical, surgical and theological diplomas set off for Africa.

He was assigned to a mission station in what is now Botswana, but quickly found the urge to explore tribal lands not then opened up to Westerners.

He set up new missions as he travelled and fell in love with Mary, the daughter of the missionary Robert Moffat.

They travelled together, forging links with people who would welcome new missionaries in their wake.

The couple gathered alarming evidence of slavery in East Africa.

Britain had ended its own dealings in Western African slavery in 1807 but turned a blind eye to the slave trade in the east of the continent.

Livingstone sent details of the evil trade back home to a land that did not want to hear them.

Having seen his wife and children on to a ship bound for Scotland where the children could receive their education, Livingstone set out on a fact-finding mission aimed at raising awareness of the 'scourge' of Africa.

Mary continued to publicise the horrors of slavery from home while her husband sent back the latest reports of the atrocities there.

Livingstone had an incredible talent for learning the new and wonderful languages that he encountered.

His copious notes, drawings, diaries and maps are testimony to his determination to bring the plight of Africa to the attention of Britain in a bid to stamp out slavery for good and leave that continent in peace.

Believing that the way to peace was for slavery to be replaced by some other trade, he focussed his attention on the areas of Africa where crops could be grown in abundance.

If those villages who were involved in the taking and selling of slaves could be persuaded to become farmers they could sell coffee, tea and cotton and STOP SELLING PEOPLE. David tried every means at his disposal to interest Britain, the Government and the Monarchy to take heed and send help. Some missionaries followed in his wake but the much needed help was slow to arrive.

Incidentally, while doing all of this, David kept up a barrage of letters to America in condemnation of the slavery there and is believed to have made a significant difference in persuading the slave-free North to challenge the Southern states on this issue. His own son, Robert, died in the fight against slavery in the American Civil War.

Undaunted, he came home to face the challenge of inciting the hierarchy to throw their money and efforts towards finding a solution to slavery in Africa.

He wrote a book on his travels which became a best seller and our David, for the first time, had money in his own pocket. It is well known that he bought a very modest house in Hamilton for his family and returned to Africa.

Various members of his family returned to that continent but sadly Mary was to die young in Shupanga, now part of Mozambique.

You can believe that David drew great strength from the support of Mary regardless of where they were, but her loss, just when they had been reunited, was to devastate him.

David maintained his campaign against slavery and continued to lobby the Parliament, the Queen and the newspapers for support.

He spent 30 years trying to create some peace for the hard-pressed peoples of Africa.

Well known throughout the world, David Livingstone died aged 60 in Ilala, now part of Zambia. His faithful bearers did not bury him there. Leaving his heart in Africa, they reverently carried his embalmed body on a perilous journey for 1500 miles to the coast to restore him to his own country where he was buried in Westminster Abbey.

If Livingstone's own country was slow to recognise the 'scourge of Africa', it did finally take decisive action. Six months after David died the slave markets of Zanzibar were closed for good.

His fame as an explorer is legend but his efforts are recognised in many fields.

Zoologists celebrate Livingstone for his contribution to describing many varied and unrecorded species of animals and insects.

Botanists find that he has been the first to describe plants and flowers which had never been seen on these shores. Many animals and plants have the word 'Livingstonii' as part of their Latin name in tribute to the man who brought them to our attention. Geologists recognise that his descriptions of the scenery held clues to the make-up of that continent. Look at maps of Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Burundi, and Zaire and be reminded that the original maps were drawn up by a lad from Blantyre.

He recorded suspicions that malaria was somehow connected to mosquitoes, leaving the medical experts to study the connection further.

The desire to bring peace to this vast continent was what drove him on.

If the people of Scotland are shy to celebrate the achievements of one of their own, there is no such hesitancy in the Africa he touched. This year, Malawi is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Livingstone with a host of events planned for 2009. A few years ago, Zambia had the same celebration, inviting members of the Livingstone dynasty and other supporters to enjoy the unveiling of new statues at Victoria Falls of the Scot who they see as a ‘Godsend’. This year, at Livingstone Airport, statues of David's closest friends in his endeavours, Susi and Chuma were unveiled in recognition for what all three did for African Freedom.

Africa still has its problems and Scotland has recognised that we have a strong connection to their plight.

The Malawi/Scotland agreement was signed by Jack McConnell, the First Minister, and President Bingu Wa Mutherika, of Malawi, at the David Livingstone Centre in 2007.

This treaty sets out a framework for mutual aid between the two countries.

At present there are Malawian nurses training in Scotland while Scots nurses expand their knowledge in Malawi. Agricultural Colleges also have mutual agreements. There are many university, college and school exchanges taking place. The David Livingstone Centre is visited every year by visitors from far and wide. Our British visitors come to find out more of the interesting story of a famous Scot.

Visitors from USA, Korea, Netherlands etc. tell us they read the story of David and found inspiration for their own lives.

As for the African visitors, it would not be wrong for me to say they appear to be on pilgrimage. From the other side of the world, a Blantyre man's efforts to bring peace are seen in an entirely different light.