Scott helps out his friends in Malawi

Apr 28 2011 by Shirley Bartynek, Hamilton Advertiser

A BLANTYRE man has helped to set up a charity which will provide a school to more than 500 children in Malawi.

Scott McMillan (40) returned from a trip to a village in Malawi three years ago and knew at that point that he had to do something to help the underprivileged children living there.

He explained: “I went to a charity night in Glasgow to raise funds for the country a few years back. I was really touched by what I heard. I decided I wanted to visit and when I was there I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“I visited one of the poorest villages in Malawi, where the children could be seen studying underneath trees outside with blackboards leaning against them. However, during the rainy season, they can’t go out and they simply just don’t go to school.

“I was so touched by what I saw that I wanted to help. On my return, friends, colleagues, and the community and I discussed the possibility of setting up a charity named Moni Malawi. ‘Moni’ means ‘hello’ in Chichewa, the principle language of Malawi.”

One of the main fundraising targets of Moni Malawi has been to raise £60,000 to build a school one hour and 15 minutes outside of the capital Lilongwe. The foundations of the building have been laid and it is set to be completed in September this year. The school will also host an additional 200 nursery children.

Scott, who is Moni Malawi’s chairman, added: “I am going to Malawi again on Monday just to check on the progress. Things are going well and our charity events are always well attended. We have had help in the past from David Livingston Primary School and other members of the community and others further afield in Glasgow.”

Moni Malawi will host a fun fayre this weekend to raise additional funds for the charity. The fayre will take place behind Blantyre Sports Centre, running from Friday, April 29, until Monday, May 2, from noon - 8pm.

Malawi has a population of 14 million and is one of the least developed and most densely populated countries in the world. The country suffers from high infant mortality, low life expectancy, and a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS.