Church puts its back into sending packs to Malawi

Published on Monday 24 November 2008 09:12

A CHURCH has been collecting school backpacks to send to children in Malawi.

Bishop Brian Smith helped to check the backpacks collected by members of St Mary's Episcopal Church at Dalmahoy, as part of the national Mary's Meals campaign.

Last year the charity provided money to build a school kitchen at Dole Primary School in Malawi, where local volunteers can cook meals for all of the children.

This year the group will be sending over the backpacks, which contain basic school materials, clothes and other items.

The Reverend Deryck Collingwood, rector of St Mary's, said: "Last year St Mary's gave sufficient funds to feed the school's 650 pupils. Many of these would have missed out on education, because they had to work in the fields or earn money to buy food.

"Many are AIDS orphans and all are very poor. Often the backpack will be the only present they have ever received."