African trip eye opener for Alison

Published on 12/07/2012 12:00

A NURSING lecturer at Napier University has met her sponsor child in Africa for the first time.

Allison Alexander recently returned from Senegal, where she has sponsored a child through her work with charity World Vision for the past six years.

Marie Gabrielle – the sponsored child – saw her father die when she was nine and has become a parent figure to her siblings.

The charity has supported Marie in many ways, and when Allison visited her recently, the whole community turned out to say thank you.

Allison, who lives in Leith, reciprocated by doing a Highland Fling with Marie to cheering and chanting.

Allison said: “I had thought it would involve a few members of her family, one or two World Vision staff and the people I was travelling with.

“On arrival at her house, however, it seemed that the whole village was present.”

She added: “I was really struck by the sense that while there was so much to divide us, I had a very profound sense that day of the humanity
that we all share wherever we live.”