Volunteer appeal targets Malawians

A DRIVE to get Malawians in Scotland to volunteer back in their homeland will be launched in Aberdeen on Tuesday.

Malawians who stay in Aberdeen will hold a talk at the Woodbank Hotel in North Deeside Road, Aberdeen, to mark the establishment of the Malawian Institute for National Development (Mind).

Guest speakers will include Malawi High Commissioner for Britain Francis Moto and former Scottish first minister Jack McConnell, who was recently appointed as British High Commissioner for Malawi by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Mind aims to build links between Malawians living in Scotland and the rest of the UK to help the African country – which is one of the poorest in the world.

Volunteers are needed to help in vital areas such as health and education.

There are around 40 Malawians living or studying in Aberdeen, where the scheme will be piloted.

Mind executive director Matthews Mtumbuka said: “If a volunteer is Malawian then they hit the ground running, as they don’t need to spend time learning the language or culture.

“We hope that this project will cover the whole of Scotland within one year and the rest of the UK soon after.”

Anyone interested in attending the talk, from 6.30-8.30pm, must give notice in advance.

To book or to find out more, call Mr Mtumbuka by calling 01224 861206 or e-mail mc mtumbuka@yahoo.co.uk