Girls in Malawi get digital lessons

Training for 80 teachers in Malawi to provide computing skills for girls is among 18 projects to be delivered through the Scottish Government Small Grants fund.

The project will ensure that teachers have both the skills and resources to teach digital literacy to 9,000 Malawian girls who would normally be excluded from lessons because of gender, disability or where they live.

Healthcare projects including additional training for emergency staff in Central Zambia will also benefit from the grants. Another project receiving funding will improve essential paediatric care training to 800 nursing students in Malawi.

All 18 projects are to be delivered by Scottish-based voluntary organisations in 2019-20 through a share of £450,000 funding from the Small Grants programme.

The programme supports the work of small organisations in Scotland, enabling them to assist some of the world’s most vulnerable people and communities.

Announcing the funding, Minister for Europe, Migration and International Development Ben Macpherson said:

“Projects funded under the Small Grants programme demonstrate our commitment to enhancing Scotland’s role as a good global citizen.

“Scotland is proud to be an internationalist, outward-looking country, and over the last six years this programme has enabled Scottish organisations to make a significant impact and help some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

“Partnership working is fundamental to the success of this programme, providing an opportunity for Scottish organisations to build their capacity for international development work and, crucially, to work closely with their in-country partners to promote capacity building, learning and delivery on the ground.”

Corra Foundation is administering the fund on behalf of the Scottish Government. Corra Chief Executive Fiona Duncan said:

“Corra Foundation works with people to achieve positive change, an aim which resonates very strongly with those of this International Development Small Grants programme.

“Corra Foundation is delighted to be working with Scottish Government and other partners on this programme which enables groups and communities in Scotland to work with partners internationally. Grants support communities in a range of areas, such as schools, farmer groups and healthcare – work which brings benefits for all those involved.”

 Background

 Further detail on Scottish Government Small Grants recipients.

 Further information on the Scottish Government International Development Strategy can be found on the website.

The Small Grants Programme is administered by Corra Foundation and developed in partnership with Scotland’s International Development Alliance and Scotland Malawi Partnership (SMP). It is designed to accommodate smaller funding requests: project grants up to £60,000 are available for over a three-year period. A maximum of £10,000 for feasibility and capacity building grants is also available, to cover a one-year period.

Incorporated not-for-profit organisations which have a presence in Scotland and an annual expenditure of less than £250,000 are eligible to apply, and there are three types of grants available: project, feasibility and capacity building.

Corra Foundation has over 33 years’ experience as one of Scotland’s leading grant-makers, distributing more than £138 million through over 15,000 grants to charities.

Scotland’s International Development Alliance Chief Executive Jane Salmonson said:

 “The Scottish Government’s Small Grants programme makes it possible for smaller organisations working out of Scotland to make a distinct contribution to the achievement of the sustainable development goals in partner countries. In addition to a number of interesting projects, we are happy to note that this funding round will also support four capacity-building grants to help organisations develop or improve their safeguarding policies.”

Scotland Malawi Partnership Chief Executive David Hope-Jones said:

"Scotland has a great many close links with Malawi, including many which benefit from this innovative and impactful funding programme. There are a range of excellent projects supported by these grants: projects which are transforming lives for the better and further strengthening the ties of friendship between our two nations. The Scotland Malawi Partnership is delighted to support this high-impact programme.”

 The Turing Trust Chief Executive James Turing said:

"The Turing Trust are delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Scottish Government to support our work in Malawi. This grant will be fundamental to our work over the next three 3 years, enabling 9,000 Malawian girls to gain digital skills for the first time."