Strengthening another Old Alliance Scotland and Malawi

Scotland has long had special ties with Malawi. Dating back to the work of Scottish missionary explorer Dr David Livingstone, Scots have been working with the people of Malawi for almost 150 years to develop education and health systems.

A missionary doctor and explorer

Livingstone knew poverty and he went to work at the age of 10. Through gritty determination he managed to educate himself and to study medicine and theology in Glasgow before becoming a missionary doctor. He went to southern Africa in 1841. Livingstone explored many unmapped parts and while in the upper Zambezi River area, he became the first known European to see the Victoria Falls, which he named for the British Queen.

His books on exploration were popular at home and helped create antipathy to the slave trade. In 1872 the New York Heralds Welsh American journalist, H M Stanley (later played by Spencer Tracy in the 1939 film) set out to trace him after several years had passed without news. Finding him in Ujiji, in present day Tanzania, he greeted him with the words "Dr Livingstone, I presume?" words now taken to embody the sang-froid of those hardy Victorian explorers. When he died, Livingstones heart was buried in Africa, a place that he loved.

A new chapter

Dr Livingstone may be long gone, but his work lives on in the David Livingstone Institute of International Development Studies (DLIIDS), part of the department of Civil Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. Livingstone was himself a graduate of the institution that became Strathclyde. The University set up a Malawi Millennium Project in 1999 working in conjunction with Scotlands Bell College and three colleges of the University of Malawi - the Polytechnic in Blantyre, Kamuzu College of Nursing in Lilongwe and Chancellor College in Zomba. The programme of work began on 1 January 2000.

The latest chapter in this shared history has been written by some enthusiastic students from the University. Lorraine Darling, Charlotte Gillooly, Emilie Smith and Christine White, all in their final honours year of the BSc Environmental Health course, spent eight weeks in Malawi, at the end of last year. Like Livingstone, who is still admired and respected in the country, the students received a warm welcome.

They stayed in Blantyre, founded in 1876 as a mission station operated by the Church of Scotland and named after Dr Livingstone's birthplace in Scotland. The main work was carried out in the rural district of Chikwawa, in a village called Nmila, an hours drive away.

The people were always friendly and welcoming

"Although we were quite intrusive in the village, entering peoples homes, asking them difficult questions about their hygiene they were so friendly and welcoming. The children were always smiling and shaking hands" recalled Emilie.

Emilie was surprised by what she found when she first arrived in Nmila, which has 310 households and a population of 2,000.

"What struck me most was the poverty in remote regions of Chikwawa and how this compared with the relatively well off cities, such as Blantyre."

Improving conditions

The students worked on various water and sanitation projects.

"There were four projects altogether -measuring the microbiological quality of household drinking water, the chemical quality of drinking water, the hand contamination of school children and pasteurisation of drinking water using solar power", explained Emilie.

Previous research during a visit to the rural region of Chikwawa revealed that over 60% of the water well pumps in the area were no longer functional. The students aim was to study these problems and identify effective local solutions.

"My particular project was on the deterioration of stored water in rural Malawi," continued Charlotte Gillooly. "I was undertaking research into the deterioration from the point of collection at the borehole to when its stored in households. It involved taking samples and testing for total coli forms and E. coli."

Keep it simple

The students found that even the simplest solutions can be effective.

"Malaria is a big problem in Malawi. We had a ceremony where we presented mosquito nets with insect repellent to each household and demonstrated how to use them effectively."

Charlotte was quite overwhelmed by the spirit of the children. "One day we visited an orphanage in Blantyre called Open Arms, run by an English couple. Most of the children who live there had lost their parents to AIDS and a number were infected with the virus. Although it was very upsetting to hear their stories, the happiness and spirit of the kids showed just how much hope they have. It was all very special."

Lasting impressions

So what did the students take away with them?

"The best thing about Malawi is the people. Its not called the warm heart of Africa for nothing," said Charlotte. "I think the trip was definitely a success. It gave me the chance to see Environmental Health being implemented in a very different situation from how it is in Scotland. Hopefully the work we carry out will go on to assist the villages where we worked by helping to put in place suitable interventions to improve water quality and therefore reduce water-related diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality."

For Lorraine Darling it was the experience of a lifetime, "Not just on an academic level but on a social level."

Emilie says, "People seemed genuinely interested in what we were doing. I think its important that the people of Malawi feel Scotland is doing something to help." Although their work has been valuable, Emilie explains, "There is still much work to be done and I would love to feel that I have contributed in some way. Working in Malawi made me feel as though my dissertation work was making a real difference. It was more rewarding than sitting at home doing a project that didnt interest me."

A warm welcome

As part of the reciprocal agreement, students and staff from the Polytechnic in Blantyre have visited Glasgow. Amos Madhlopa is currently studying for his PhD in Mechanical Engineering.

"I have learned that there is enormous capacity for research at the University of Strathclyde and Ive been warmly welcomed. I will be acquiring knowledge and skills which I can take back and apply in Malawi."

The bond of friendship between the countries has been formalised. Aco-operation Agreement was signed on 3 November 2005 to cement therelationship between the people of Malawi and people of Scotland. Thetwo governments have agreed to work together to build a partnership ofskills and expertise that will benefit both countries. StrathclydeUniversity will receive 362,250 from the Scottish ExecutivesInternational Development Fund for two projects in Malawi. One willfocus on reducing maternal and infant mortality and the other will aimto improve education of the blind. The Scotland-Malawi Appeal fund,which was set up last year, will also be boosted. Edinburgh basedwriter, Alexander McCall Smith, who sets much of his work in Africa, haspledged the royalties from sales of his book The girl who married alion to the appeal. And the runners in the upcoming Dundee halfmarathon will be able to ease their pain with the realization that theirefforts could raise up to 200,000 for projects that will be of majorbenefit to the people of Malawi.

As Charlotte said, "Its all very well sending over money and books, but human interaction is the most important part of any link." Another group of students will travel to Malawi in August.

Dr Livingstone - we presume - would be very proud.

The students visit to Malawi was funded by the University of Strathclyde Bellahouston Travelling Scholarship.